Truth Be Told
by ConsultingScribbler
Summary: Bridget Leigh Heiler is ready to face the new challenges that await her in New York City. Her life becomes entangled with superheroes and villains. Little does Bridget know that the truth will be revealed to her through the most thrilling adventure of her life.
1. Prologue

She was an ordinary young woman with a simple and quiet life. This is the story of how one decision set her on the course of finding the truth and finding herself. What's her name you may ask? This young woman's name is Bridget.

Bridget Leigh Heiler thought very little of herself when it came to her appearance. She had dark, wavy brown hair that shined crimson red in the light of the sun. Her eyes were of a lighter shade of brown, closer to that of hazel. Bridget had a tanned complexion from the rays California sun.

Young Bridget was adopted when she was 8 years old by two very loving and caring parents she was very thankful for. Her biological mother passed away giving birth to her and her father left her at an orphanage when she was still a baby. She didn't know a whole lot as to why he had left her, but what she did know was that he wasn't able to raise her. Even though she loved her adoptive parents and they took up a huge space in her heart, there were times when she wished she was raised by her biological parents. Not realizing how much it hurt her, a few of her classmates had teased Bridget because she was an adopted child. Her antagonizers also badgered her about her clothing, interests, and every little thing they could think of. Instead of letting it really get to her, Bridget brushed off the taunts thrown at her.

There were two people that helped Bridget get through all of that and their names were Luc and Vanessa. Vanessa was Bridget's first friend and now best friend after settling into her parent's town. She was very outgoing, kept a level head, and can be quite clever when she wanted to be. Luc was everyone's favorite goof-ball and could always put a smile on anyone's face. He had always teased Bridget during their PE class, which they managed to share every year they took it, and how lousy she was at almost every sport.

Bridget wasn't exactly unathletic, but she was a bit clumsy. Probably the only reason why she wasn't completely useless during PE was the fact that her father signed her up for karate classes during middle school. She, as her father put it, needed to protect herself from possible suitors seeking to destroy the hearts of beautiful young women. Bridget scoffed at the idea that her father actually thought she needed to since she didn't find herself remotely attractive. But she still agreed, secretly fulfilling her dream to be a Power Ranger as close as she could.

Bridget thought her high school years went okay. The bullying had subsided since no one wanted to get on the bad side of her best friend, Vanessa. Let's just say Vanessa was well-known as a clever trickster. It was during Bridget's time in high school that she grew a passion for both math and science. She loved the complexity of the concepts of both subjects and how they required quite a lot of thinking.

Bridget graduated high school with her parents in the audience, watching proudly as their now adult daughter climbed up the steps. Bridget's mother was close to tears and silently prayed that Bridget wouldn't stumble over her heels. She had insisted on wearing them, even though everyone knew she probably wouldn't be able to keep her balance. All that worry washed away as soon as her little girl was handed her diploma and she and her husband erupted in cheers. Bridget glanced at the direction of the noise and smiled sheepishly at her parents. She let out a shaky sigh as she shook the hand of the principal and turned to go down the staircase ahead of her.

'Finally', she thought to herself, 'it's officially over.' Bridget was officially finished with high school and was overwhelmed with happiness, but there was still one thought she couldn't push out of her mind. Of course after this she would go to college, but what did she want to do with her life? What career would she have? Was she going to work hard, long hours inside a laboratory as a scientist? She's always loved biomedical science, but was more skilled in mathematics, numbers, figures, statistics, and those kinds of things. All these thoughts and doubts about what lay ahead of her filled her mind as she sat down on her seat just in time to cheer for Vanessa as she made her way across the stage.

Bridget grinned as Vanessa fist pumped the air and yelled, "I told I'd graduate!" to the row of seats closest to the stage, all filled with chuckling teachers. A while after came Luc who swaggered up the stage and took his diploma with the biggest of smiles. Almost every student in the audience cheered for him until he descended the steps and took his seat.

After dozens more students received their diplomas, the principal gave a surprisingly strong speech, sending off the young adults into the big bad world. The ceremony ended on a high when the graduates threw their hats into the sky and the loudest cheer of the day filled the air.

"Woah there, Nessa!" Luc coughed as Vanessa tackled him into a hug.

Bridget chuckled, "Move it ginge! Come here, dude, I'm going to miss you!"

He pulled Nessa over and the three best friends had a group hug.

"CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2004! HIGH SCHOOL YOU CAN SUCK—NO WAIT LET ME FINISH!" yelled someone who managed to get a hold of a mic.

They broke apart, chuckling at the guy who was now being told off by his parents.

Nessa sniffled and said, "You'll come to visit right? And remember to Skype with us? Take pictures while you're there?"

"And give us your future girlfriend's email so we can torture her to death with messages?" Bridget joked. Luc rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

"I'm sure you two'll find her even if I don't give it to you," he replied. Luc was off to college in France where he'll study photography. It came as a shock to many people, but the ones closest to him weren't the least bit surprised. He loved to take pictures of people, places, and really anything ever since he was a child.

"Well then, tu nous manqueras!" Bridget exclaimed.

"What?" Luc asked, his face twisting into a frown.

"It means 'We'll miss you', idiot," Vanessa replied, "Learn a bit more French will you?"

He gave them his goofy grin and they all hugged one last time before taking the obligatory pictures with family and friends. They said their goodbyes, but no one teared up yet because they'd all see each other at dinner later that night. Bridget groaned when her parents dragged her over to her math teacher for the past two years, Mr. Morrison.

"Mom, the guy hates me!" Bridget protested. She tried tugging back her arms with as much force as she could without ripping the long sleeves of her gown. It was no use, it was her father that held on to her, keeping a firm but not forceful grip on her.

"Bridge, don't be silly!" she replied. Her mother and father sighed at her attempts to escape. After all, they didn't see how this would be embarrassing.

After a strong push forward from Bridget's father, and tripping over her heels, Bridget gathered up what remained of her dignity and courage. She sighed as she mentally crossed off "ninja" on her list of possible occupations.

Bridget held her head up to show some confidence and greeted her former teacher. "Mr. Morrison!"

He put on one of his smiles that are specially used for when parents are around.

"Why, hello Bridget! Mr. and Mrs. Heiler," he said as he shook the hands of her parents, "you must be very proud of your daughter's accomplishments!"

He's such a formalist. He's probably so stiff from all the work he does. He's not only an AP mathematics teacher, but he also subs for some biology and chemistry classes as well. One time he took a leave of absence to attend a party held by Tony Stark! THE Tony Stark! Bridget couldn't help but feel jealous at the obvious sign he's enough of a genius to hang out with one of the most brilliant and talented men in the world!

"It's nice to meet you!" Bridget's parents said with grins on their faces.

"Do you mind taking a picture with Bridge?" her mother asked. Bridget held back another groan. Well, she minds!

"Oh of course, it would be my honor!" Mr. M said with a genuine smile. Bridget quirked an eyebrow. He would've never said that if it weren't for the fact that her parents were around. The man hates her! Ever since Bridget corrected him in her trig class one day, he had been very cold to her. She hadn't volunteered to answer since.

Bridget plastered on a rigid smile as her father snapped the picture. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Good luck Ms. Heiler," he said as he pulled out a white envelope from his jacket, "Please don't open this until you get home."

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she said thanks again. She took the envelope with so much care it looked like she thought it would explode the moment she touched it. What could be inside it? It felt like a sheet of paper was inside, but she wasn't sure. Her mind wondered what the envelope held as she walked to the parking lot with her parents. She decided she was over thinking things when the thought of it holding a strain of anthrax crossed her mind. She watched way too many procedural cop shows.

Bridget opened the door to their car and slid in, hiking up her gown in the process. She closed the door with a loud thud and buckled her seat belt just as her father started up the car.

"So home first, then we'll have dinner with Nessa and her mom?" Bridget asked as she kicked off her lofty heels. She let out a content sigh when her sore feet were loosed free and resisted the urge to start massaging them.

"Yeah, we're going to a buffet, right?" her father asked as he pulled out of the parking space. Bridget rolled her eyes at his reflection in the mirror. Honestly, this man and his relationship with food—they're inseparable!

"Yes, Dad!" Bridget answered with a huff.

When they got home, Bridget sat down on her bed and opened the envelope. She relaxed when she saw no sign of the powdery substance that would infect her with anthrax. She was just being ridiculous! Inside there was a letter that read:

_Dear Bridget,_

_You are one extraordinary student! I'm glad to have had the privilege to be your teacher your last two years of high school. Knowing you're talented in both mathematics and mechanical science I'd like to gift you with an opportunity to work with one of our world's greatest scientists, Tony Stark. Enclosed with this letter is another, with I recommending you to work with him at Stark Tower. I wish you good luck in your future, Bridget, and I know you will do well._

_Sincerely, _

_Mr. J. Morrison _

Bridget started shaking as she scrambled to find the other letter. She couldn't believe it! Mr. Morrison, the man she thought hated her guts, just gave her a letter recommendation to work with Tony Stark! She screamed with joy at the top of her lungs as she hurried to the living room where her parents sat waiting.

"Mom! Dad! Look!" she struggled as she gasped for air with each word.

Bridget's parents quickly read the letter from Mr. M as she held up the letter of recommendation with a smile.

Her mother squealed with delight, while her father said with a glitter in his eyes, "Well, hon', we know you love math and science, but isn't Stark Tower all the way up in New York?"

"Yeah, but it's not like I'm leaving for there now," Bridget replied finally having caught her breath, "I've still got college to go through, dad."

He tried to frown, but a grin fought through and took over his face. Bridget walked over and hugged the both of them. She took the letter from her father's hand and smiled to herself, thinking about her future out there in the big bad world. She's just been given an opportunity to make something more herself, and she as sure as hell is going to take it.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This takes place years after the prologue and Bridget is now on her own without her parents or friends to take care of her. Uh oh. I really hope I did some good with this.**

* * *

Bridget couldn't believe it's been five years since high school! How time goes by. She went to college and decided to major in accounting and has just got her CPA. She's been living by herself for a year now, making a living by working at her father's restaurant. But now that she's finished with school, Bridget is packing her bags and moving to New York! She's saved the letter of recommendation from her former teacher Mr. Morrison and is finally going to make use of the opportunity given to her. She's got most of her belongings packed, letter of rec and copies of it safely tucked into her bags, and now all she needs to do is find a cheap apartment. This'll be fun!

Bridget has emailed three complexes with vacant apartments and are close enough to Stark Tower so that she could manage to walk there. Only one of said landlords, or in this case landlady, was willing to reserve an apartment until she got to New York. It was fairly cheap enough so that she'd be able to pay rent for two months and that was plenty of time for her to get a job. There were moments when Bridget second guessed her decisions to take herself and the few things she owned and move to New York. But when those thoughts came she merely pushed them away, confident she'll make it.

Bridget's parents were a bit skeptical about the idea of their daughter working with Tony Stark, let alone moving to the Big Apple. First of all she has never met the man. Second, her father thought of him as a "douche bag." Third, they were worried about the whole Iron Man thing going on. There hasn't been much communication between Stark Industries and Bridget, but she has kept in touch with Mr. Morrison. They exchanged emails every now and then, much to the surprise of Bridget who now thought of him as a friend. If you told her she would be good friends with Mr. Morrison while she was in high school, Bridget would've just laughed at the idea. She's leaving for New York in about a week and her parents were coming to see her off.

"Oh sweetie, we're going to miss you so much!" Bridget's mother cried as she hugged her daughter.

Bridget tried her best to hold in a laugh and sob at the same time. "I'll miss you both, Ma!" she said as she buried her face in her mother's hair. She breathed in, smelling the scent of her mother's shampoo. Bridget grew up with the smell of strawberries since she and her mother love them and her mother's hair smelled of their beloved fruit.

Her father put his hand on her shoulder and she turned to hug him as well. He wrapped his arm around her back as she placed her arms around his broad shoulders. He choked in her ear, "You better call everyday kid," Bridget hugged him tighter, "or else your Ma will go crazy."

Bridget chuckled, "Of course, Dad. I promise I won't forget." She pulled back one of her arms and wrapped it around her mother's shoulder.

"Don't forget this," he said as he handed her a mini can of pepper spray.

Bridget playfully rolled her eyes and asked, " Really?"

He gave her a look. "Bridge, it's New York. You need to protect yourself… in every way possible."

She responded with a horrified look, "What? Dad! Seriously? I'm not going to get laid!" "Do you think this," she gestured to herself, "is going to get fu—?"

"Bridget! Careful with your words!" her mother snapped.

Bridget should be annoyed, but she's really going to miss her mother and her constant enforcement of the importance of manners. "Ma, I'm 23 and not your little doll anymore!" she replied.

"You're right! You're moving to New York without us to look after you!" she sobbed into her daughter's hair. Sure enough when Bridget glanced at the Flight Info Displays, it was time for her to get going.

Bridget gave her parents one last hug before waving a silent goodbye. She kept telling herself to not cry, but she had to put up a big fight against the tears. In attempt to not be seen sobbing by her parents, Bridget scurried off to do the necessary before-flight chores and headed for the jet bridge. The tunnel was dim and narrow and honestly gives her the creeps. Others passed by her as she slowly walked to the "vehicle of death." Bridget hated planes with a passion. But more specifically she hated heights. She would get dizzy and nauseated so much that it results in her fainting or puking or sometimes both. It's not fun at all! She took deep, steady breaths before she stepped onto the plane. Bridget headed for the economy class of the plane and found a seat in the middle, away from the windows. She placed her shoulder bag under her seat, settled down, and closed her eyes.

"Achoo!"

Bridget opened her eyes drowsily and realized that she had fallen asleep_. _Her eyes widened when she became conscious of the fact that the plane was already high up in the sky. She turn her head left to right and down to see that her seat belt buckled. She looked at the woman with the warm brown eyes to her left with a confused look.

"Glad to see you're finally awake! I took the liberty of clicking on your seat belt for you—I didn't want you to wake up," she said with a light smile.

"Oh, erm, thanks," was all Bridget could manage out. That was oddly thoughtful. She settled back into her seat and sighed. "So, um, are you going back home to New York?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah," she narrowed her eyes, "how could you tell?"

Bridget smiled and said, "No one who lives in California can have skin that pale."

She chuckled, "Smart girl, I just came to California for some… business. How come you're heading for the Big Apple?"

Bridget brightened up at that question, eager to share, and said, "I'm applying for a job at Stark Industries! Hopefully work alongside Tony Stark himself!"

She raised her eyebrows, "Really? A pretty and young girl like you working with that player?"

Bridget blushed a bit and replied, "Thankfully he has a thing going on with Pepper Potts." The lady wasn't the first to mention that part of Tony.

" Oh yes, of course. I'd still look out for myself if I were you," she whispered as she moved her hand from Bridget's shoulder. Bridget frowned- she didn't realize the lady had placed her hand there until now.

A cart being pushed by a heavily make-upped stewardess stopped at their row." Anything I can get for you ladies?"

" Some coffee would be nice thank you," Bridget nodded. She gingerly took the mug and sipped it. She let out a content sigh when the taste of mocha reached her tongue. It was her favorite.

"Nothing for me, thank you," said her neighbor as she shook her head. She turned her body to face Bridget just as she settled back into her seat. "So have you got a place to stay and such?,"she asked placing her hand on Bridget's shoulder again.

Bridget glanced at it, but she didn't want to be rude so she didn't tell her to take it off. "Yup, I'm renting an apartment pretty close to Stark Tower," Bridget said a bit coldly. She was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh I see," the lady said and quickly folded her hands on her lap. "Well if you need any help settling in," she said as she reached into her purse and took out a card, "just call me."

"Oh, um, sure," Bridget said, reaching for the card. Bridget saw her name: Alexis V. Folk. She tucked it into the front pocket of her bag. "Thanks, Alexis," she muttered. Bridget thought that she was very, well, very out there. She froze when a thought occurred to her. Was she lesbian? Bridget looked at her in the corner of her eye and gulped. She didn't do react so well with flirting from a guy, let alone flirting from a girl. She tried to hide her blush, but Alexis noticed in a snap.

"You alright there?" she asked as she inched closer.

Bridget froze for a moment, giving her self a pep talk. She needed to keep her cool. She needs to get used to situations that made her feel uncomfortable and be able to overcome them triumphantly. She was going to work around Tony Stark! She needed to handle this situation with grace and poise. Now breathe.

" What? Oh yes, I'm fine," Bridget choked out. She mentally slapped herself. That wasn't smooth at all.

"Good, good," the lady said as she smiled and finally turned away.

Bridget breathed out a silent sigh of relief andrummaged through her bag and pull out her beat up copy of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. She put on her glasses and started to read. It's really hard to focus on reading when there's a woman sitting right next to you and you happen to be on a plane when you're afraid of heights. Not to mention the heavy amount of turbulence that's been happening for the past half hour. Bridget eventually gave up trying to read and just closed her eyes.

The plane severely bumped along for a couple of seconds. Bridget swallowed nervously and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. In the corner of her eyes she saw that Alexis had fallen asleep. Bridget began to think having that coffee was a bad idea. In an effort to calm herself, she rested her head against her soft pillow and let out a shaky breath. Bridget looked toward the screen and saw that they were about an hour away from New York. She reminded herself to just keep breathing and reassured herself the flight was almost over.

Bridget was on the verge of puking when the pilot finally told everyone to put their seat belts on for landing. She glanced over at Alexis and saw that her eyes were still closed. Bridget debated whether or not to wake her up. Maybe she should just buckle her belt on for her, Alexis did that for Bridget after all. Politeness won over her shyness and Bridget reached for one half of the belt and then the other. Just as she was about to lock it together, a firm hand grabbed her wrist. Bridget looked up to see that Alexis had woken up wide-eyed. For a second Bridget thought she saw a hint of annoyance in her eyes, but it quickly passed when it came. Bridget cleared my throat, let go of the seat belt, and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't want you to wake up either."

Alexis immediately gave her a small smile and calmly said, "No, it's fine. You just startled me is all."

Bridget smiled back and said sorry again. She sighed and tried to relax, but then the slow dips of the plane started to happen along with her stomach dropping. Bridget let out some slow and deep breaths until, finally, she felt the plane touch the ground. She let out a sigh of relief and grinned.

Bridget heard Alexis chuckle to her left and gave her a playful annoyed look, "Don't judge me!"

She just smiled and unlocked her seatbelt. Bridget did the same and grabbed her bag. Bridget waited until everyone cleared out and got up with Alexis.

"So, is anyone picking you up?" she asked.

"Yes actually," Bridget replied, "my new landlady is picking me up—thankfully I know how she looks like."

"Oh I see," she said with a disappointed look.

They silently went through all the obligatory airport stations and grabbed their bags. They struggled their way through the crowd, with Bridget tripping a few times, and reached the arrival area laughing their heads off.

Alexis searched the crowd and her eyes focused on a big, sturdy man in a suit holding up a sign that read: Alexis Vary Folk. "Well there's my ride," she said as grabbed her bags once again. "It was really nice meeting you, Bridget," she said as she came in for a hug.

Bridget awkwardly wrapped one arm around her shoulder then settled back. "Nice meeting you, too" she said with a blush. Alexis started to walk away toward the man in black as Bridget searched the crowd for her landlady, Dolly. Bridget started walking in the direction of a plump woman wearing a purple floral shirt and a black skirt.

"Bridget! Over here!" Dolly yelled in a strong New York accent. Bridget grinned and waved at her.

"Hello, it's nice to finally meet you!" Bridget said politely as she reached her hand out to shake hers.

"Same here honey!" She waved away her hand and said, "Oh no, come here and give me a hug!"

"Oh! Um, okay," Bridget hugged her back awkwardly. She wondered silently if all these hugs were the standard way of saying hello or goodbye in New York.

"Alright, come on, let's get out of this chaos!" Dolly dragged her outside of the airport and into the parking lot. There Bridget got her first whiff of the New York air. She nearly puked. What is that smell?! It's so rancid and—oh. They were standing next to a trash bin. Bridget held in her breath as they walked further into the crowded rows of cars, afraid of smelling the real New York. Her chest was about to burst when they finally stopped near Dolly's beat up car.

"Hand me your bags, hon," she said as she opened up the trunk.

Bridget wrinkled her nose and handed them over. "Thanks," she replied with a small smile.

"No problem, baby girl!" she piped up, "Ready to see your new home?"

Bridget nodded happily and climbed into the cramped car. She struggled a bit with her seat belt until she finally buckled in. They sat in silence most of the ride from JFK until they reached some traffic.

"You better get used to this," Dolly said with a small smile, " I don't know much about LA traffic, but these streets are like hell."

Bridget let out a small laugh and replied, "Don't worry I'm pretty used to it." Dolly sighed as she turned on the radio.

"Reports are coming in that the Stark Tower has been the source of the massive portal in the sky. Hundreds of gray, metallic creatures are flooding in and the mayor has ordered a city-wide evacuation"

Bridget and Dolly both sat there in stunned silence. New York is under attack?!


	3. Chapter 2

BOOM!

Dolly and Bridget glanced at each other. Both women's eyes glowed with fear, but Bridget saw something else in Dolly's eyes. There was a spark, a sort of fire in her eyes and Bridget remembered Dolly mentioning she had a son.

"Robbie," Dolly whispered. "He's in school right now." She swallowed and nodded in the direction of the attack.

Bridget sighed and looked around. Dozens of people were running away from the invasion and Dolly is ready to face it head on. But was Bridget herself ready? She gathered up her courage and turned to her landlady. "Well I can't let you go alone!" she said.

Dolly gave her a weak smile and unbuckled her seat belt. She reached over to Bridget's side of the car and opened up the cabinet. She quickly grabbed a semi-automatic hand gun and got out of the car. Bridget looked after her, slightly stunned, and shook her head to focus herself. She needed to keep a level head- panicking is a bad thing to do right now.

"Ready?" Dolly asked.

"Nope," Bridget replied and turned towards the screaming and explosions, "let's go."

They walked quickly and quietly, dodging the oncoming crowds of terrified men and women. Bridget held on tightly to her bag like it was the only thing that was keeping her alive. Bridget remembered the can of pepper spray her father had given her only hours before. Her father- her mother. Was that moment in the airport her very last goodbye to her parents? Was she ever going to see them again? Bridget rummaged through the pockets of her bag until she finally found it. Dolly was better armed. Bridget's heart thumped hard and fast in her chest as the adrenaline started kicking in.

"And exactly where is your son's school?"Bridget asked.

"It's on the way to the apartment," she replied meant they were headed for the heart of the chaos.

They reached the end of the tunnel and started to pick up their pace. Now, both women were energized with adrenaline, hearts pumping loudly in their chests as they jogged closer and closer to the school. In the sky, Bridget finally saw the portal. Dozens of those metallic aliens were coming in non-stop. They seemed to be firing blue streaks of energy at people on the ground. Cars were wrecked all over the street and more and more buildings were damaged as we got closer to the Tower. Screams of different pitches were heard all over the city. Bridget could feel the fear building up inside her. People were getting hurt- people were dying. Who the hell is going to stop these things? As if on cue, a streak of gold and crimson shot up from the direction of Stark Tower. Iron Man. She felt a sudden rush of relief. But can he really take all of them down alone?

Bridget's first glimpse of Stark Tower was a gut-wrenching one. Police cars sped through the streets and people were rushing about trying to escape. She looked up at the sound of a sudden bang and saw the part of the "Stark" sign was blasted off! Stark was seriously in need of help- where's that spider kid?

The closer they got to the Tower, the fewer the people they saw. That is, until Dolly and Bridget froze dead in our tracks. One of the gray aliens was stalking around, looking for some prey to slaughter. In the corner of her eye, Bridget saw Dolly point to an alley to hide in until it was safe. They crept off as quietly and quickly as they could. Then, being the ultimate klutz that she is, Bridget tripped over some rubble and fell on her knees with a grunt. She heard metal feet crunching on gravel as she glanced up to see Dolly slip away into the alley.

Bridget turned around with a slightly annoyed look on her face and grabbed a good sized rock to fling at the alien. Bridget's breathing turned into terrified panting. This is most likely the end of her- she might as well go down with a fight. The alien slowly, tentatively inched towards her gun at the ready. Bridget tried to slow her thumping heart by taking big, slow breaths when her adrenaline hit an all-time high. She held on to the rock and reached back to chuck it at the alien when the thing flew to her left, out of sight. In its place was a tall, broad shouldered man with long blonde hair and flowing cape. Bridget tried to thank him but, because of the shock, all that came out was gibberish.

"Flee mortal!" he yelled at her as he whirled his hammer in the air, "Flee from the new city of York!"

Bridget gave him a confused look, but nodded swiftly when she noticed Dolly creeping up behind her savior. Dolly gripped a street sign tightly, holding it like it was a baseball bat. Bridget's eyes widened when she realized what her landlady was planning to do and he turned to see what I was staring at.

"Fear not, my lady!" he said in his deep voice, "I do not conspire with the Chitauri! I am here to aid the city of York in its time of crisis!"

Dolly looked over at Bridget and she gave her a thumbs up in response. Dolly lowered her weapon slowly, but didn't drop it.

"Well don't just stand there!" she nodded towards the man, "Go kick some ass!"

The man grunted and flew into the sky, using his hammer, back towards Stark Tower. Bridget and Dolly looked after him, wide-eyed until the alien jolted back to life. Bridget screamed and threw the rock she still held with all her strength. It knocked the thing down but, just as it scrambled up to its feet, Dolly beat it with the sign until it stopped moving entirely. Bridget reached for its gun and aimed it at its owner, ready to fire if it showed any more signs of being alive.

"We should go," Bridget said in a hoarse voice. "We should go before it waked up again." Dolly nodded and pulled Bridget by the arm when she wouldn't budge.

"Are you okay hon'?" she asked, looking Bridget over.

"Just got scraped a bit," Bridget replied, pointing to her red knees.

"Don't worry, that's nothing," she said as she patted her shoulder.

Bridget nodded towards the dead Chitauri, "Thanks for not bailing on me back there." For a moment, Bridget thought Dolly had left her to fend for herself. When Dolly came back, ready to take down someone else even bigger and more dangerous than that alien, she proved Bridget wrong.

"Baby girl, I don't leave anyone behind," she replied, walking forward. Bridget smiled and followed Dolly until they reached a tall, four story high building with hundreds of children running out.

"Robert? Robbie?" Dolly cried out into the crowd.

Bridget decided to help her out and yelled into the crowd as well. Teachers were there motioning everyone to leave.

They kept yelling his name until the crowd started thinning out. Dolly's eyes wildly searched for her son. It pained Bridget to see someone like this. Bridget started yelling his name even louder towards the crowds of children who stayed behind on the streets. A boy who looked to be about seven or eight with ruffled brown hair cautiously walked up to Bridget.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked.

"Are you Robbie?" Bridget asked as she knelt down to meet his innocent, hazel eyes. He nodded and Bridget smiled with relief. "Dolly! He's over here!" she said turning towards her landlady's trembling form.

Dolly's head snapped in their direction and a huge rush of relief went through her body. Bridget stepped aside as she tackled him into a hug.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Dolly asked as she fixed up her son's hair.

"Yes, Mama," he whined. "Can we see Iron Man and the others kick butt now?" he asked with excitement twinkling in his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous! Come on," she scolded and grabbed his hand.

"Others? What do you mean?" Bridget asked Robbie as she glanced toward the sky. Things must've been getting worse. The sky was filled with smoke and even more of those grey aliens. Some were being blasted down by unknown forces on the ground.

"The other superheroes!" he said as he was dragged along. "There's Iron Man, the Hulk, a guy with a hammer, one with a bow and arrow like Merida, a girl with a gun, and a guy with a shield!"

They hurried along the now seemingly empty streets. Explosions were heard here and there, but there were a lot less compared to half an hour ago. The three headed for Central Park, where everyone else was taking refuge. Their view of Stark Tower started to get smaller as they got further away. Dolly was red in the face and breathing heavily, so Bridget rummaged through her bag and handed her a bottle of water.

"Thanks, hon'," she said with a weak smile. Bridget nodded and they kept walking.

A huge roar was heard in the distance and Bridget noticed the portal was closing up. What happened? Is it finished now? Is it safe now? Bridget nudged Dolly 's shoulder and nodded towards the sky. She looked up and her eyes widened. She pointed and Bridget looked closer to see a tiny figure falling from the sky. Bridget thought it was some sort of satellite that kept the portal open. She brushed off the idea of it being one of the heroes when suddenly there was another, even more massive roar followed by the sound of a crash.

"Do you think we can go back now?" she whispered.

"It's better to make sure everything has died down first." Bridget motioned towards the edge of Central Park where some teenagers sat either with their phones or typed furiously on their laptops.

Bridget walked up to a girl who was scrolling through the internet. "So did those things finally decide to leave or what?"

She glanced up and looked her over. "It says here that when that portal closed, all those aliens suddenly dropped to the ground. It was like they had a heart attack or something."

Bridget nodded and asked, "Do you know what that thing was that fell from the sky?"

She shrugged, so Bridget thanked her. She walked over to Dolly and Robert who sat under the shade of a tree. She told them what the girl told her and they agreedto try to walk back to the apartment and worry about Dolly's car later.

The city started to come alive again. People started coming out of buildings looking beaten and worn out. Everyone took a long, hard look at the destruction of their city. They would have to rebuild, but they'll get the Big Apple up and running again.

"It'll be just right around this corner," Dolly said as she looked at the wreckage.

A worried expression was etched on her face and Bridget realized what she feared. The apartment building could've been destroyed. They rounded the corner quietly and Dolly and Robert stopped in their tracks. Bridget looked down the street and saw that everything was fine. Sure there were dozens of cars shoved onto the sidewalk but, compared to the other buildings closer to Stark Tower, this area was pretty lucky.

"Maybe we should go inside," Bridget said as she patted Dolly's shoulder. She nodded and headed towards a small green door. The hallway was a bit cramped, but the place was pretty clean. All the doors were strewn open except for a handful.

"That was one hell of a first day in New York, huh?" she asked jokingly.

Bridget let out a shaky laugh. "Yup, I've heard about Harlem and that whole Stark Expo fiasco, but I didn't think it would be this chaotic!"

"It's never been _this_ crazy, trust me," she said quietly, "hopefully this is the last time something like this happens." She opened the door to her apartment and motioned for Bridget to come inside. Robbie jumped onto the couch and turned the TV on. Immediately, a news reporter showed up onscreen and was interviewing a blonde waitress.

"Captain America saved my life," she sighed and said, "Where ever he is and where ever any of them are, I would just… I would want to say thank you."

Bridget grinned at Robbie who was jumping up and down uncontrollably. "There he is!" he pointed to the screen, "Captain America!" A man clad in a red, white, and blue suit complete with a matching shield graced the TV as he fought a handful of the aliens on his own. In no time, he took all of them down and stopped, readying himself for another attack.

"Robbie, sit down!" Dolly yelled from the kitchen, "Coffee, hon'?"

"Maybe just some water, thanks," Bridget said as she sat down next to the little didn't need to get energized again. What Bridget needed now was a nice long rest.

"Here ya go Bridget," Dolly said as she handed Bridget a glass of water.

"Thanks," Bridget replied before taking a long gulp.

"So do you want to see your apartment now?" she asked.

"You're living here?!" Robbie piped up.

Bridget let out a chuckle and said yes to both of them. Dolly led Bridget down the hallway and they stopped two doors down from her apartment. "Well here you are!" she handed her a rusty key. "There should be some basic furniture in there, unless the old tenant stole it."

Bridget nodded and thanked her. She watched Dolly walk back down to her door and close it behind her. She and Robbie needed some time alone. Bridget shoved the key into the lock and turned. There was a click and she twisted the door knob open. She slowly walked into the small living room with a stained couch, a fair coffee table, and a lamp with no shade. Bridget let out a huge sigh as she explored the kitchen. It was small, but just the right size to fit two or three people. She slowly walked towards the bedroom door in the living room. Bridget prayed there was a bed in there. A bed with nice soft sheets and plump pillows.

The hinges creaked as she lazily pushed the door open. Bridget was tired and she started to feel the soreness from the running she did. The bedroom was about twice the size of the kitchen and a wooden bed with a mattress was backed up into the top left corner of the room. There was one window in between the bed and the polished, wooden wardrobe. She turned to see a TV placed on top of a table that was way too small to hold the TV on its own. Bridget plopped down on the bed and madly searched for the remote. She finally found it, quickly pressed a button, and the TV flashed on.

"Superheroes in New York?" a white haired man said, "Give me a break!" He turned around and returned to his chess game.

Bridget chuckled to herself as she untied and kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed. Pictures of "The Avengers", that's what they call themselves, and clips of the battle showed in a montage on the small screen. Bridget wondered how they all managed to work with Stark. She let out a snort and continued watching until she heard a knock on the door.

"Bridget?" she recognized the voice as Robbie's, "Mama said we have to get her car and was wondering if you wanted to come?"

"We're picking up some dinner on the way!" Bridget heard Dolly cry out.

"Sure! I'm coming!" Bridget yelled back as she hastily hopped off the bed and turned off the TV. As tired as she was, Bridget was even more hungry. She's not going to turn down the opportunity to eat.

Bridget grabbed her bag and opened the door to see Robbie smiling up at her and Dolly holding the apartment building's door open.

"Maybe we could see The Avengers!" Robbie piped up. He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the door to his awaiting mother.

Bridget smiled at him and whispered, "We'll see."


	4. Chapter 3

"Bridget!" a croaky, but loud voice came from outside Bridget's flat. "Are you ready yet?"

"I'm getting dressed, Robbie!" Bridget yelled to the door as she pulled on her jeans. She stumbled to the floor when she lost her balance.

"Oh!" he giggled, "Sorry!"

School's out and summer's in for Robbie right now, so Bridget has been taking him out to have some kiddy fun. Dolly needed a babysitter while she was at work and Bridget gladly volunteered. Bridget figured it's the least she could do for all the favors Dolly has done for her. Apparently she convinced the previous tenant to leave their old furniture behind, so that Bridget didn't have to buy her own. Besides, the kid was so sweet and adorable. Well, only when he wanted to be.

Bridget grabbed her phone and a map of New York in case they got lost. That wouldn't happen anyway—Robbie knows his way around the city. She pulled the door open and slipped out of the building to find him already waiting for her outside, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"So where shall we go today?" Bridget asked as she grabbed hold of his hand to walk across the street. Thankfully, despite him being almost ten, he didn't argue.

"Can we go to the Park today?" he asked. Bridget sighed with a hint of annoyance. Don't get her wrong, she loved going to Central Park. That was one place in the entire city Bridget has been to where she could relax, lay out on the grass, and feel the heat of the sun tingle her skin that ached for the California sun. But honestly the kid asks to go there every single time they leave the apartment!

"Why do you always ask to go there?" She questioned as she glared at an incoming taxi driver to stop so they could cross to the next block. They had a quick stare down until he just sped off down the road.

Robbie hesitated to reply. "Ummm, well it's because..." He blushed a deep red.

"Yes?" Bridget urged him, "Go on."

"There's this," he paused, hesitant to continue. Bridget nudged his shoulder, urging him to go on. "There's this girl in my class who goes there." His words flew out of his mouth so quickly Bridget had to take a moment to process what he said. "A lot," Robbie added for good measure.

"What?!" Bridget exclaimed. "Robbie's crushing on a girl?!" She grinned down at him as they walked down the street.

"Hey!" he cried out and forced her to stop walking. "Please don't tell Mama! She'll get all creepy and follow Maria around and stuff!" he said waving his hands about.

Bridget giggled and said, "You're secret's safe with me, twerp."

He stopped walking. "And I'm not a 'twerp'! I'm all grown up! See?" he argued as he tugged his sleeve up to his shoulder and flexed his arm.

"Sure, sure," she snorted and rolled her eyes as they started to walk towards the Park again.

"Besides," he said as the corners of his lips twitched, "you never stop looking at pictures of Thor."

"Excuse me!" Bridget cried with exasperation, "I'll have you know, he saved me and your mother's life!" So she's been researching some info on the Avengers, with a focus on Thor, but it's all for research! Was it a crime to read about the god that saved your life? Bridget didn't think so!

"Still makes you a creeper though," he giggled.

Bridget stuck her tongue out and nudged him to turn left. "So, how about some lunch?"

"Okay," he sighed, "then straight to the Park, right?"

"Well, of course! I don't want you to miss out on seeing your girlfriend!" she said, teasing him.

"Shut up," he glowered as they walked inside a sandwich shop for their lunch.

"Two PB&J's and deluxe turkey sandwich, two PB&J's and a deluxe turkey sandwich," Bridget practiced in her head. She bit on her lip as she did this, staring intently at the front of the line.

"You're practicing the order, again, aren't you?" Robbie asked rolling his eyes.

"Yeah," she admitted. She sighed as the line moved agonizingly slowly. Bridget stood there with Robbie as she tapped her foot and double checked the cash she held in her hand. Bridget's budget for her first few months has been diminishing at a rather alarming rate. She hadn't factored in watching over a ten year old boy while she was crunching the numbers. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an irritated man approaching them from behind.

"Tony! I'm sick of eating shawarma every day!" he argued to someone on his phone. "I'm grabbing us some sandwiches right now." He ran his free hand through his curly black hair as he sighed. Bridget wrapped her arm around Robbie's shoulder. She gave the man a small smile as he glanced up at her. "Sorry," he mumbled. He pointed to his phone, "He's really stubborn."

Bridget nodded her head understandingly and turned her attention back to the front of the line. She smiled to herself when she remembered the times she and Vanessa went out to eat. At that time, Bridget had been on a strict vegetarian diet after realizing her previous meals consisted of unhealthy amounts of meat and junk food. Vanessa kept dragging her to burger joints which, obviously, had nothing on the menu that Bridget would eat. They usually settled for an Italian restaurant, sometimes her father's, by the end of the night.

Bridget and Robbie had moved closer to the front, but now a man was arguing with the cashier about his order. She instinctively tightened her grip on Robbie's shoulders in case anything was to happen, but loosened it a little when she felt him squirm. The man finally left the shop with a huff, so the line finally started moving. By the time they reached the front, Bridget's stomach had started rumbling.

"Morning. What can I get you two?" the cashier asked in a monotone voice.

"Two PB&J's and one deluxe turkey sandwich, please," Bridget replied proudly. She saw Robbie roll his eyes and she elbowed him in response.

"That'll be $13.58," he said looking up from the monitor. She quickly placed the money on the counter as he went to get their order. She tapped her fingers against her thigh until he finally came back. She grabbed the bag of sandwiches as Robbie tugged her towards the door.

"Come on!" he groaned, "I'm going to miss seeing Maria!"

"And we can't let that happen, can we?" Bridget asked sarcastically. Bridget pushed the door open for Robbie who hurriedly ran out of the shop. All Bridget could do was keep up with Robbie, who ran all the way to the Park, as her stomach grumbled with impatience. It also didn't help that she was the one carrying their food.

Surprisingly, a carnival was being held in the Park today despite the fact it's only been two weeks since the alien attack. Children were all over the place either munching on cotton candy, enjoying the games and rides, or being disciplined by their parents. Bridget glanced at Robbie when he finally came to a walk and saw he didn't show a hint of interest to the festivities. We pushed past the crowd and reached an open field.

"It's this way!" Robbie said excitedly as he dragged her across the field.

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" Bridget said, doing her best to keep up. She frowned down at their sandwiches, checking to see if their food hadn't been crushed to mush yet. She let a breath of relief when she saw everything hadn't turned into soup. Robbie stopped under the shade of a tree that had a view of the Bethesda Fountain and the carnival. Bridget sat down next to him as he scanned the empty field. "Sit down and eat," Bridget said as she took out their food, "I'm not letting this go to waste."

Robbie sighed, sat himself down, and unwrapped one of his sandwiches. "She should be here," he said as he looked around, munching on his PB&J.

Bridget gave an exaggerated sigh and said, "Oh well, what can you do?" before taking a big bite out of her sandwich. She flinched when Robbie pinched her arm. "Ow!" she yelled with a mouthful of food. "Real mature!"

"Says the 25 year old with a My Little Pony t-shirt," he said nodding towards her clothes.

"It's very… entertaining." She blushed. "Shut up! You know nothing!"

Robbie laughed and they ate the rest of their lunch in silence. Fortunately, he had brought his baseball bat, a worn out ball, and a mitt with him. They played right after lunch since Robbie, apparently, didn't want to go to the carnival. Bridget was about to ask him why, but he had turned away with a rather upset look on his face, so she didn't press him.

"Stop throwing like a girl!" Robbie complained when the ball rolled to his feet. He chucked the ball back to her with a frown.

"Excuse me!" She hollered, putting her hands on her waist, "That's sexist!" Honestly, how was that even an insult? Besides, she was going on easy on him so he wouldn't be too tired to walk the way back home. She'll show him how well she could throw!

"What?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

She waved off his question and muttered, "Pay attention in school, twerp." Bridget stretched her arm back, ball in hand, and threw it to a focused Robbie. He lowered his bat slowly, eyes widening as he watched the ball sail over the open field. She stood there with a cocky grin and her arms folded across her chest as it disappeared into the grass.

"Was that good enough for you?" She asked him as he turned back to her.

"That was my only ball!" he replied as he clenched his fists. Bridget rolled her eyes and followed Robbie as he took off running trying to find the ball. Unfortunately for them, it happened to match the color of the green grass and so they were sent on a scavenger hunt.

"Can't I just buy you a new one?" Bridget yelled across the field to Robbie. She regretted her offer the moment it came out of her mouth. She barely has any money left to buy food let alone buy a new ball for Robbie!

"No!" he bellowed in frustration. "Are you crazy? That was signed by Sandy Koufax!"

Bridget froze in her tracks, shock running through her. When she came to her senses, she ran over to him. "Oh I'm the one who's crazy?" she asked shaking him by his shoulders, "You're the one who decided to play with a baseball signed by Sandy freaking Koufax!"

"Look," he answered, trying to act calm, "if Mama finds out, then we're both in trouble!" He shrugged out of her grip and continued to look for the ball.

Bridget let her head fall back and looked to the sky as she shook her fists in the air. "How could you be so stupid?" she cried out.

"It must have rubbed off from you," Robbie muttered behind her.

She turned around and narrowed her eyes before muttering, "I heard that, twerp." Bridget continued to look for that precious baseball around the field until she heard the roar of an engine. She glanced towards the noise and saw a tall, muscular man riding his way through the little road that separated the field from the fountain. She paused and stared at him as he parked it near the fountain and got off.

"Hey Bridge!" Bridget heard Robbie yell to her right. "I think I've found it!"

She looked over at him and yelled back, "I'll be right there!" She ran over to see him waving his arm with the ball tightly gripped under his fingers.

"Well thank God," Bridget said as she let out a sigh of relief. "Your mother would've killed you if she found out you lost it." But Robbie wasn't paying any attention to her. She looked down to see him looking into the distance. Bridget turned to look towards the fountain, the direction he was staring at, and saw a group of one, two, three—eight people. She gasped when she recognized some of them. "Is that Thor? And Loki?" Bridget asked as her eyes widened. "Holy crap! It's Tony Stark!" She whispered excitedly, pointing towards a man who was wearing a gray suit. She looked down to see Robbie shaking uncontrollably. "Dude," Bridget said grabbing his shoulders, "are you okay?"

He let out a squeal and grabbed her hand. "Come on! Let's get a closer look!" They silently crept up behind a tree to see the Avengers, Loki, and a grey haired man neither of them recognized gather in front of the fountain.

"What's that?" Robbie questioned as Stark opened up a suitcase. There was some sort of powerful aura being given off by whatever it held inside. Even Bridget could feel it from where they were hiding. She held in her breath as she saw a glowing blue cube, much like the color of the Chitauri's weapons, being taken out of the suitcase. A man in a yellow shirt, who looked oddly familiar to both Bridget and Robbie, carefully placed the cube inside a glass cylinder with golden handles on each side. The gray haired man clung to the casing, as if it was a precious treasure, and walked over to an awaiting Thor. Loki stood there, brooding behind his muzzle, while his brother patted the gray haired man's arm and took the blue cube from him.

Bridget glanced down at Robbie to see him staring intently at Thor and what he held. Thor walked over to the war criminal and held the case on one handle, offering the other to Loki. He reluctantly grabbed onto it, clearly pissed off his invasion on Earth had failed. With that, Thor nodded to his team mates and friends and twisted the handle. In a burst of blue light, Thor and Loki were gone! Poof! They disappeared! Both Robbie and Bridget gasped loudly and ducked further behind the tree to hide themselves.

Robbie looked at Bridget with fright in his eyes. "What the hell just happened?"

Bridget stuttered until she finally managed to say, "I've got no idea." She nodded her head towards the fountain and they slowly turned themselves to look at the retreating Avengers. The blonde all-American man went up to shake hands with Stark as the man in the yellow shirt headed over to a sleek black car with two others. Bridget slapped her forehead when she remembered where she's seen him. It was the man who was arguing on the phone at the sandwich shop! Now it's no secret who he was arguing with. Bridget poked Robbie's shoulder and told him her revelation.

The man in yellow grabbed a duffel bag from a red-head and shook her and the serious man's hands. He walked over to Stark's shiny, burgundy Acura as the blonde one waved at the serious man and the ginger. The man in yellow threw his bag into the back seat as Stark jumped into the driver's side. He tried to do the same, but ended up falling hard on his bottom. Robbie tried to stifle a giggle while Bridget turned towards the rumbling sound of the motorcycle. The blonde man had seated himself and with one last twist of the grips, he was off and riding out of the Park. Stark flipped him off as the motorcycle rounded a corner. This time Robbie couldn't control his laughter and Bridget had to clamp her hand over his mouth.

"Shush!" she scolded him as he clawed at her hand. Bridget looked over at Stark's car as the engine started to purr. She let out a hiss when he bit her hand in protest. She was just about to scold him when she heard an all too familiar yell.

"Damn it, Tony!" The man in yellow cried as Stark sped off into the distance.

So have they gone their separate ways? Were the Avengers just a one-time team up? Probably not, Bridget reassured herself. They'll come back together when the Earth, and its people, need them.


	5. Chapter 4

So... *awkward cough* this is a bit late. Sorry. I'm not entirely sure how many people actually keep up with this story since it's fairly new, but **PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES.**

ONWARDS.

* * *

"Hey, dumbass— watch where you're going!"

Bridget ran down the intersection hurriedly as taxis and cars honked at her. Turning around with a huff, she gave the driver the finger and ran before anything else could happen. Bridget was in a hurry to get to Stark Tower. Pushing past the crowds that lined the sidewalks, Bridget scolded herself for running late. It was the last day for orientations for new assistants and Bridget was chosen! Stupidly enough she had woken up late! She let out a heavy sigh of relief when the Tower came into her view. Its windows shined brightly as the sun beat down on a clear day in New York. The closer she got to the Tower, the harder her heart thumped against her chest. It was highly unlikely that she'll meet Tony Stark himself, but she'll be walking in his footsteps!

Bridget's first memory of Stark's greatness was during her time in middle school. One of her teachers always talked about how much Howard Stark, Tony's father, helped make advances in technology and science. She showed us things that we take for granted in life that were all thanks to people like Howard Stark and his son and their dedication to science. The things Bridget learned in those days propelled her into working harder in her studies. She couldn't decide what to really focus on—she loved chemistry and biology, but was more skilled in math analysis and trigonometry. That, and the fact Bridget never got a full scholarship, caused her to choose a rather broad major in college that managed to get Bridget her CPA. Still, Bridget never lost touch of that passion she held for the world of science. Looking on the bright side, maybe Stark might need an accountant!

As Bridget reached the front of Stark Tower, she rummaged through her bag and made sure her letter of rec from Mr. Morrison was there. She heard the crinkling sound of paper and pulled it out. A doorman with white thinning hair and aviators smiled as he opened the door for her. Bridget strolled into the cool building and stopped in the middle of the huge level to take it all in. Everything was modern: the front desk was metallic silver, the black chairs and sofas looked plush and comfy, and the two sets of stairs had clear glass steps. The huge windows in the back that Bridget noticed on the way there let the sun shine into the building.

After snapping herself out of her daze, Bridget walked over to the lady at the front desk. She cleared her throat before saying, "Hello, I'm here for the orientations."

"Name?" the lady asked without looking up from her computer.

"Bridget Heiler."

She waited quietly as the clerk clacked away at her computer. Where was everyone? Bridget looked around and saw no one else was there— save for a few workers, carrying huge glass panels, who just took the elevator.

"You're late," the clerk said with hint of annoyance. She looked up at Bridget, looking bored, and said, "You're going to have to reschedule."

Bridget glanced at her watch. She just missed them! Surely she can just catch up! "But it's the last day," she pleaded, "This is my last chance."

"Sorry," the clerk replied, even though Bridget could tell she didn't care. "You can apply again next year." Bridget bit on her lip. She can't apply _next_ year—she needs a job and she needs one now! If she doesn't attend this orientation, then she would be dropped and her job would be given to someone else. She left home and risked everything just to get here!

"Look, if you can just tell me where the group is right now," Bridget started, "I'll just catch up with them and won't disturb anyone." There was some desperation in her tone that Bridget tried to hide, but she truly was getting desperate at this point. "I promise."

"I'm afraid I can't permit that," she said. Right when she finished, a crowd of people emerged from the back of the lobby, following a man in a suit. Bridget's face brightened at the sight and was just about to join them when the clerk stopped her. "Ms. Heiler, please, I can't let you interrupt the orientation." Bridget sighed and turned to look at her.

"They're right there," Bridget said and pointed to the group for good measure. "I'll just slip into the crowd."

The clerk removed her glasses and sat up straight before saying, "Ms. Heiler, if you do not abide by the rules, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Bridget bit on her lip, trying her best not to start an argument. If she tried to sneak her way into the group, which paused near the elevators, then the clerk would easily see her and would definitely result in Bridget getting kicked out. That would ruin any chance of working here anytime soon.

"Please, this is my last chance," Bridget begged, desperation now overtaking her, "if I don't get a job now, if I can't support myself here anymore, I have to move back home." She placed her hands on the counter and leaned towards the clerk for emphasis. "Don't make me go back there."

The clerk groaned and Bridget's eyes widened when her voice raised an octave. "Ms. Heiler! Please! Leave!" Her voice echoed around the lobby and Bridget could hear the noise of the crowd die down. She glanced up to see everyone was watching them, now more interested in their argument than listening to their guide. Bridget's jaw tightened and looked down to see the clerk fuming, her ears turning a bright shade of red. Oh great. This was just what she needed.

When she heard footsteps fill the silent room, Bridget and the clerk looked up to see the man in the suit walking towards them. He had curly black hair and light stubble that almost reached the end of his neck. As he got closer, Bridget couldn't help but appreciate his well-tailored suit.

He cleared his throat before asking, "Is there a problem here, Lucia?" Bridget heard a whisper of an Irish accent in his voice.

"Ms. Heiler, here, refuses to leave the building," Lucia said, shooting Bridget a glare. Bridget resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her.

He turned to Bridget, with a charming smile that caused her to blush, and said, "Bridget Heiler? I've seen your application!" He held out his hand and Bridget shook it promptly, a smirk playing on her lips that was directed to Lucia. "My name's Matt, pleasure to meet you."

"Bridget. Well, yeah, I guess you know that already since you've seen my application—" Bridget stopped midsentence before she could make a fool of herself.

Matt let out a chuckle and turned back to Lucia. "Don't worry, I'll take it from here." Bridget trailed after him willingly after he motioned for her to follow. As she left, she noticed in the corner of her eye that Lucia was glaring at her. Bridget gave her a small wave and Lucia scoffed before returning to her work.

Bridget tried not to meet the eyes of the crowd as she slipped into the back. When she stole a glance up, she saw they had gone back to listening to Matt, who was now leading them into the elevators. Even though the elevator itself was pretty big, everyone had to squish themselves inside. Being one of the last people in, Bridget was closest to the door, so she stood right next to Matt. He reached over to push a button and after a brief moment the elevator sailed upwards. Everyone was practically shouting, already having been acquainted with each other, while Bridget tried to have a conversation with Matt.

"So, what have I missed?" she yelled, even though they were right next to each other.

He leaned in closer to hear her words and answered, "Not a whole lot—just a basic tour of the first floor. We're heading up to the R&D levels where you lot are going to spend most of your time in."

Bridget nodded and gave him two thumbs up to indicate she heard what he said. When the elevator dinged and opened, everyone stepped out, breathing in heavily after having been cramped inside. The group grew silent as they took the scene in. They were just on the first R&D floor and yet everything was bustling with activity. It was the biology and medical department—the area Bridget applied for.

"I believe this is where most of you are going to work," Matt began. "The bio and medical department is probably the best out of all the branches we house in Stark Tower." He paused for a moment and whispered, "But don't tell Mr. Stark I said that." The crowd giggled, mostly the girls, and erupted in murmurs about the billionaire who owns the building. "By the way, you'll all be getting your own access codes and IDs right after the orientation so don't wander off." Matt took the moment to punch in a code that opened the glass doors and walked into the enormous room.

Bridget was the first to step inside and really take everything in. All the walls were made of clear, but thick glass so she could see everything that was going on. Scientists in lab coats were either hunched over their work or rushing around the room with their arms full with papers or their experiments. Bridget couldn't help but admire all the latest Stark Industries technology that she will be able to use in the near future.

Matt appeared at Bridget's side. "Pretty fancy, huh?" he asked, motioning to a giant hologram base where a handful of scientists stood.

Bridget was still speechless and marveling at everything, but she managed to say, "It's brilliant."

"Yeah, you lot are pretty lucky to have gotten in," he glanced back at the crowd, which was just getting inside. "Better go and round up the kids," he said with a wink before motioning for the group to join them. Bridget found her way to the back of the crowd again, and listened intently to Matt's words. "As you can see, we have the latest in Stark Industries' technology engineered by scientists who, years ago, were just like you. Mere blossoming students who never thought they would come this far, but look at them now. Look at what they've accomplished. " Matt gestured at the busy scientists. Some looked up from their work and gave a polite nod, while others just glared. Everyone, including Bridget, was too busy admiring the gadgets to notice the looks the others were giving them.

Matt didn't protest when the crowd started to go their own ways around the floor, exploring their new workplace. It wasn't like they were immediately going to start working independently—they were just assistants—but they were curious, especially Bridget. She kept her distance as she watched a woman enter a formula into her computer. Bridget recognized a number of chemicals, ones commonly used in fertilizer. She watched as a hologram appeared before the woman, displaying a tree sapling. The label went from reading 1 week to 2 months. Bridget gasped. The sapling had grown into a full grown tree!

"How'd you do that?" Bridget stuttered, taking a step closer to the woman.

The woman turned in her chair to face Bridget. "You're one of the new lab assistants, right?" Bridget nodded. "Then you're clever. What do you think I did?" the woman asked, eyebrow raised in question.

Bridget gave herself a moment to think. The woman, Dr. Steinbeck, obviously used an advanced formula with off the market chemicals to make the fertilizer. Seeing as the seed had turned into a fully grown tree within two months, she must've used a concentrated dosage since, as far as Bridget knew, a diluted dose of those chemicals would have no effect. But a highly concentrated dosage given all at once would just halt any kind of germination at all, let alone growth. So, she must've either set up the scenario to give small, multiple dosages or she used a method of releasing the chemicals evenly so the plant wouldn't die before it had a chance to grow.

Bridget also had to consider the fact that no ordinary seed could handle that particular mix of chemicals. There was a possibility the seed's genes were mutated, either naturally or artificially. Bridget had a hundred thoughts racing through her mind that Dr. Steinbeck had to clap her hands to get Bridget's attention.

"So," Dr. Steinbeck said as she settled back into her seat, "What do you think?"

Bridget spent the next ten minutes spilling out her ideas to the scientist who listened intently. Bridget faltered halfway, thinking that Dr. Steinbeck was growing bored, but the woman motioned for her to continue. When Bridget finished, Dr. Steinbeck smiled and said, "See? Told you, you're clever."

Bridget blushed and let out a small laugh before the doctor continued, "You were right about the mutated seed—there's no plant in this world that can manage this formula." Dr. Steinbeck handed Bridget a tablet with all the information about her experiment. Bridget marveled at the attention to detail—Dr. Steinbeck was very meticulous. The doctor eyed her thoughtfully and asked, "So, who will you be assisting this year?"

Bridget would have known if she wasn't late to the orientation. She mentally slapped herself, again. "No," she cleared her throat, "I—I didn't get a chance to see." Well at least she wasn't lying! Dr. Steinbeck narrowed her eyes at her. Bridget bit on her lip as the doctor continued to study her.

"You were late, weren't you?"

"Yes." Bridget braced herself for a judge of character, but Dr. Steinbeck didn't give her any. Instead, she chuckled lightly and scanned their surroundings, looking for someone. Bridget followed her gaze until she met eyes with none other Matt, who had been watching them from the main entrance. Dr. Steinbeck waved him over and asked him who Bridget would be assisting.

Matt's face broke into a wide smile. "She'll be working with me."

Bridget almost dropped the tablet in surprise. "But I thought you were a tour guide," she sputtered out. When she realized what she just said was rude, she apologized. "Sorry," she muttered, setting the tablet down, "You just look too young to be working here."

Matt's smile turned into a full-fledged smirk and he gave her a wink. "Well then there wouldn't be a problem if I took you out for a drink, will there Ms. Heiler?" Oh she totally set herself up for that one. Nonetheless, Bridget blushed an even darker shade of red.

"Matthew," Dr. Steinbeck began, "boundaries."

"Well she seems perfectly okay with it," Matt argued before winking at Bridget once more. Dr. Steinbeck looked at Bridget with sympathy since all the blood had rushed to Bridget's face, coloring it tomato red.

The doctor came to her defense. "Alright, Matthew, go finish up the tour, will you?" She waved him away from her workplace before pulling Bridget aside. "I know you're a grown woman—you can take care of yourself—and you've only known me for twenty minutes, but don't buy into his charm, okay?" Bridget nodded and was about to follow the group out, but Dr. Steinbeck wasn't finished. "He's a known heartbreaker, Ms. Heiler. Be careful with yourself around him."

"Noted," Bridget replied with a nod, before heading for the doors. She paused when she reached the group, still waiting for the others to join them, and gave a silent wave to Dr. Steinbeck. Bridget knew she can manage herself around him. Unlike Matt, she knew her boundaries. She absolutely will not fall for him!

Bridget rolled her eyes to herself. This is going to be one hell of a ride.


	6. Chapter 5-1

*Awkward cough* So it's been five weeks since the last update. Whoops. Sorry.

I'll just shut up now so you can read...

* * *

It's been two weeks since Bridget's first day at Stark Industries and she already wants out. She could deal with the early wakings and handled them pretty well, considering she was not a morning person, but the work load was preposterous! Bridget knew the job wouldn't allow much time to relax, but she was just the assistant! Not the scientist! At least not yet!

All of the paperwork and most of the data was left to Bridget to deal with. Honestly for a company so technologically advanced, with tablets, supercomputers, and oh so many gizmos, there was way too much paper around. All this she had to do while Matt went off and does—well to be honest Bridget didn't know—whatever the hell he does! He disappears an hour after Bridget gets to work and reappears just before lunch just to leave again later. Bridget is supposed to assist him during labs and such, but she has so much office work to deal with! She's frustrated and angry, but the man is her boss so she can't say a single thing.

And so one afternoon she was surprised to find Matt pouring over huge stacks of paperwork when she passed by his office after lunch. Bridget crept up to the open door and tapped twice to announce her presence.

"Good morning," Matt said through the pen in his mouth. He was frantically typing away at his laptop, eyes locked onto the screen.

Bridget raised her eyebrows and replied, "It's the afternoon, sir, but I appreciate the thought. Anything I can help you with?" Bridget walked up to his desk and waited for his answer. Now that Bridget had a better look at the mountains of work—more like hills really, compared to Bridget's workload— on his desk, she started to feel a hint of pity for him. Of course, that's karma, leaving most of _his _work for _her_ to deal with_, _but pity all the same. Bridget felt like she's drowning under the all the duties and tasks—honestly there are times she'd prefer college over this—and she's not even halfway done with organizing the data for one of Matt's experiments yet. It would help if she had one of those fancy tablets or a faster computer, but of course aides just can't have those luxuries.

"Well for one thing, I've already told you to stop calling me 'sir'," he said as he pushed his chair back with a sigh. He snatched the pen out of his mouth and set it down on the desk. "Seriously, do I look like a 'sir'?" His eyebrow raised in question.

Bridget thought about her answer for a moment. She said it out of respect of higher authority—she couldn't help it. "Well, no, but—"

"Then please," he slipped off his chair and onto the floor, propping himself up on his knees. Matt looked and was slightly older than Bridget, but he was definitely not the most mature out of the two of them. He folded his hands in plea and said, "Please, call me Matt—you can call old Smithy over there 'sir' if you want." Matt nodded at the figure of a chubby man with a long white beard that worked with him from time to time. He actually did look a bit like Smithy. If you added a gold crown and beady red eyes, then (according to Matt) you've got one of the most underrated Super Mario villains of all time.

"Alright, _Matt,_" Bridget agreed as she waved for him to stand up. Seeing him on his knees with a puppy dog face was just odd. Not to mention the stares they were starting to get from people nearby, Bridget was getting uncomfortable. "Stand up! This looks weird!" she said frantically. With a grin, Matt jumped to his feet and dusted off his trousers before sitting back down on his chair. "Can I ask what all this is for?"

Matt's grin widened and his eyes glistened with mischief. "Assignment from the Big Guy upstairs," he said. Bridget automatically knew he was talking about Tony Stark. To be honest, she wasn't surprised. Matt was a well- respected scientist in the department, so the fact he received an assignment from Stark was actually expected. "It's classified," he teased mysteriously, "my eyes and his eyes only." Nodding her head in understanding, Bridget was genuinely impressed. She really wanted to find out what it was all about though. He pursed his lips and nodded with her. "As you can see it's all very important."

Matt's exaggerated pride made Bridget roll her eyes playfully before asking him once again if he needed any assistance. "Well if you want to help me out, then I'm going to need the presentation on the enhanced fitness experiment on my desk before I go," he ordered pleasantly.

Bridget suppressed a sigh. She hasn't even started that yet! Matt really was easy going—Bridget just hated the fact she had so much work to do! She did understand that he now had something much more important to do than his smaller projects, but it still didn't change the fact she had to spend endless nights at the Tower working. She nodded once more, this time with less enthusiasm, and muttered, "Of course," before she started for her cubicle.

On the way, Bridget gave a quick wave to Dr. Steinbeck, who gave her a smile. She sat down on her squeaky office chair and swiveled over to her computer. She loved doing that. Before turning the damn thing on, she reached over to one of her cabinets; unlocked it; pulled out her laptop; and carefully set it down on her desk. She was supposed to have a video chat with Vanessa today but, seeing as she had so much work to do ahead of her, she might have to cancel. She quickly went to her email and typed out an apology to Vanessa, saying she might not be available, and exited out before anyone could catch her. People here were pretty strict with personal matters being handled at work, so Bridget sent the email quickly.

Bridget spent the next couple of hours huddled over her computer, suffering through as it lagged continuously on her. She didn't want to request a better, more efficient one, like Matt's. But of course, she wasn't important enough. It would be nice though.

Bridget was already accustomed to being the little one, the girl who goes on coffee runs, and the one everyone orders around— whatever you want to call it. She didn't really mind at this point, people here were nice enough, but she was getting sick and tired of not getting time to just sit down, calmly, and breathe.

At some point in the evening, Bridget was adding the final touches to the presentation when she heard a tap on her cubicle. She sighed, thankful for the interruption, and turned to see Matt. His curly hair was an absolute mess—he looked much worse than when Bridget last saw him hours ago. He was his phone into his jacket with difficulty, as the rest of his arms were full. "Hey," Bridget said, hearing her exhaustion in her voice. "Everything okay?"

Matt shifted the pile of papers he held from one arm to another with a grunt. "Yeah, I just need that presentation—you finished?"

Bridget nodded and turned back to her computer to save the file. She quickly unplugged the memory stick and handed it to Matt. "Oh you are an angel!" He gave her a hug with his free arm then tucked the memory stick into his shoulder bag—or as he liked to call it, his "murse". "Have you organized me and Smithy's flight to Chicago for that seminar?"

Bridget cursed. "I'll get right on that." With another tired sigh, she turned back to her desk and opened up a browser to search for flights and hotel bookings.

Matt patted Bridget's shoulder and said, "Thanks, darling. Just leave the info on my desk before you lock up. I've got some things to attend to. I'll see you in the morning." He patted her shoulder once more and turned to leave.

"See you!" Bridget yelled before her cubicle went quiet again. At the sight of the time, nearly midnight, Bridget decided to take a quick peek to see who was still at work. She rose from her chair slowly, her head popping out of her cubicle. Dr. Steinbeck's office was empty and Smithy was nowhere in sight. She saw Matt's figure slipping out of the level as her eyes scanned the level. She was alone— aside for a janitor and a few assistants she recognized from the orientation.

Given that Bridget was allowed to go inside Matt's office, her presence inside wouldn't cause any suspicion. Therefore, the moment Bridget was sure Matt had already reached the lobby, she got out of her seat, grabbed a handful of papers from her desk (so she won't look suspicious), and headed for Matt's office. All she could think about was that assignment Matt received from Stark. He said it was classified, which meant it wasn't any of her business, but damn it she was curious. She made sure none of the assistants were watching her as she casually walked to her boss' office. She opened the glass door and stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind her.

The walls of all the offices were glass, so there really wasn't any privacy. That meant Bridget couldn't be in there for too long, so she could only get a glance at those files. His desk was mostly empty now, most of the papers had left with Matt, but of course his computer was just where it was. She set the papers she held atop his desk and took another quick glance outside to see if anyone was watching her. Everyone was busy going through paperwork or typing away at their computers.

Bridget sat down on his chair and hid behind Matt's massive computer screen. His chair was nice and comfy, having been broken into after a long use. A hint of jealous passed through her when the computer immediately turned on, no lagging whatsoever.

Matt was clever and probably the closest person to a genius Bridget would ever meet, so it was no surprise when the password she entered failed to unlock the computer. She had four attempts left until either system sets off some sort of alarm or the computer will self- destruct. Awesome.

Bridget wasn't going to waste any of the attempts so she took her time trying to figure out the password. She didn't know much about Matt or his personal life. He never talked about his family, so—seeing as there weren't any pictures or reminders of them of any sort in his office—Bridget figured he wasn't close to them. He wasn't in a relationship either, that much Bridget could tell just from the amount of flirting he does with any woman he lays his eyes on. With someone with his charm, it was obvious he had many friends, but she didn't know if he was close enough to any of them. That ruled out any names of significant people in his life as passwords.

Bridget knew full well from experience that Matt was a major movie buff. She tried to remember if he'd mentioned his favorite movie to her during one of their previous conversations. Was it "The Outsiders"? Bridget typed it in. The computer beeped and the countdown went from four to three. Shit. She knew he loved accurate book-to-movie adaptations and, while she agreed the movie itself was a masterpiece, there were some differences that would've ticked Matt off.

Bridget groaned and slid her hand down her face. His favorite movie would be too obvious anyway.

It was getting late and Bridget really should start on finding flights and a suitable hotel for Matt and Smithy. She was just about to give up when a thought passed through her mind. One of the flaws Matt had was that he was sometimes forgetful. He probably wouldn't forget something as important as his computer password, but he would've played it safe and given himself something to remind/ help him remember what it was. Bridget looked around his office for any clues.

Behind Matt's desk was a window that had a great view of New York City. The entire city was lit up with lights, cars lined the streets below, and people were crowded tiny dots on the sidewalk. Bridget smiled at the beautiful sight then turned back to get a good look at the rest of the room. To her right was a bookcase that was filled with—hopefully you guessed this right— movies. Right across from it was a couch that matched the ones Bridget passed by in the lobby. It looked equally comfortable, if not more, than the chair Bridget was sitting on. Aside from those things and the rug in the center of the office, it was empty and there was plenty of space to move about.

Bridget stood up from Matt's chair and walked up to the movie-case. Her eyes scanned each shelf, searching for any movies that didn't belong (ones he obviously had no taste for) or if any were in a particular order. After a second and third scan, she still came up with nothing. She stamped her foot in frustration and marched back to Matt's desk in defeat. She wasn't willing to risk getting all three remaining attempts incorrect, so Bridget decided to let it go. The curiosity will keep eating away at her, but Bridget hoped it would die away soon.

Bridget grabbed her papers and was just about to turn off Matt's computer when something caught her eye. On the wall, above the couch, hung a small painting she didn't recognize. Not that she knew much about art in the first place, but Bridget was pretty sure that was no Van Gogh.

Bridget walked closer to the paintings, taking another moment to check if anyone outside had grown suspicious. Nope—all was clear. She took a moment to take a good look at the painting.

It was simple, but beautiful. It was an image of a harbor with a mountain and houses in the background. She searched for the artist's signature and found it on a corner, written in red ink. Val Byrne, it read. Bridget had three chances left and, with this new finding, she was going to use them. She headed back over to Matt's chair and sat down, taking out her phone to search for the name of the painting. She googled Van Byrne and found several paintings of his, all of them depicting places in Ireland. No surprise there either since Matt was Irish. She found an image of the painting on her phone and typed in its title on Matt's keyboard.

Bridget held in her breath for a second and released it the moment Matt's desktop filled the screen. She got in.

* * *

Miko Hayashi: Well I obviously can't give any spoilers away- so I'm not going to tell you- but I will say that Bridget will have some sort of relationship with the both of them. Stay tuned!

OH! And I'll probably update again next week since I feel really horrible about not getting some writing done, so expect one then!


	7. Chapter 5-2

*hides behind couch, gripping a baseball bat*

Heeey guys! So in my last update I said I'll be posting a new chapter the week after.

Whoops.

Needless to say, this is late. But hey! It's one of the longest chapters I've written so far for this story!

* * *

Bridget worked quickly, skimming through Matt's recent documents. Every now and then she looked up from her search to take a peak outside, nervously checking to see if anyone had noticed her absence. She rolled her eyes at the thought. As if! The only other person she spoke to at work was Dr. Steinbeck and an occasional, polite conversation with Smithy. Therefore, she doubted anyone would miss her.

Eventually Bridget found an entire folder that stood out from the others titled "Operation Perisoreus". After a quick Google search on her phone, Bridget learned a perisoreus is a genus of jay birds typically found in the subarctic climates of North America, Eurasia, and China. Bridget clicked on the folder, puzzled, and was directed to a long list of documents. Names of people titled all the documents—almost fifty counted from Bridget's quick estimate. A new wave of worry washed over Bridget as she realized how much trouble she would be in if she was caught going through Matt's computer.

Another peek wouldn't kill her.

Bridget clicked on a random document and a word file opened up before her. She scrolled through file and gasped, a couple of repeated words standing out from the rest of the document.

It dawned on her that Stark Industries was experimenting on unwilling humans.

Bridget sat there frozen for a moment, not knowing what to do. There was no way Tony Stark would allow something as sick as this to happen let alone lead it! And Matt, too! She didn't want to believe it, but from what she read there was enough evidence. Bridget's breathing grew quicker in pace and sweat started to form around her temple. Those poor people… those sick bastards…

Bridget exited the file and went on to click on another. This time, it spoke of a young woman who rejected some sort of formula injected into her. Bridget cringed when she read her cause of death: liquidation of internal organs. She needed to tell someone about this. But who? The police? Then what would happen? Would the whole of Stark Industries be shut down? That would put thousands of people out of work and have a major impact on stocks and the economy.

"Shit," Bridget muttered under her breath. Well if she's going to do anything about this she's going to need evidence. Bridget fished through one of her pockets and pulled out her personal memory stick. She inserted it into one of the ports and hurriedly made a copy of the file while watching the few people left outside Matt's office.

After what felt like years, the computer beeped to indicate the transfer finished. Bridget pulled out the memory stick, tucked it back into her pocket, and erased the memory log that archived any activity on the computer. Of course, if one dug deeper into the hard drive, they could find evidence of Bridget's nosiness, but there were bigger worries at hand.

Bridget rose from the chair, grabbed her things, and exited Matt's office as quietly as she could. She kept her eyes down, hurrying to her cubicle to collect her belongings. She tried to remain inconspicuous and wiped away at the sweat on her brow. Bridget turned off her lamp, switched off her computer, and headed for the exit just as she felt a hand tug on her elbow.

She turned, stomach tying into a knot again and greeted the man before her. "Sm—Dr. Croshaw!" she mentally slapped herself when she almost called him Smithy. "Good evening!"

"Indeed, Ms. Heiler," he said with a nod. After an awkward pause, Bridget broke the silence.

"So is there anything I can do for you?"

Dr. Croshaw jumped as if he was previously in a trance and answered. "Yes! Yes, sorry, have you got the flight information?"

Crap. Bridget slapped her forehead. "Right! I'm sorry; I'll get right on it!"

000

As much as she wanted to and as hard as she tried, Bridget couldn't get Operation Perisoreus out of her head. It wasn't any of her business—hell, Matt would most likely fire her if he found out she knew. As she called up several airlines and hotels, searching for an opening, she felt the weight of her tiny memory card—the weight of a massive operation in her own coat pocket.

Needless to say, it was overwhelming.

After about a dozen phone calls, Bridget printed out Smithy and Matt's flight and hotel details and put their own separate copies on their desks. She returned to her cubicle to tidy up once again and headed for the exit, Smithy watching Bridget's figure leave.

000

The next day, Bridget worked as fast as she could. She strategically avoided Matt's company, offering only a quick hello and goodbye when she came in and left the office. She saw Matt's wondering expressions but, every time she got close to him, she couldn't help but cringe away.

Bridget got her work done quickly, saving a few things to worry about at home. After a series of emails, Bridget scheduled a video chat with Vanessa that night.

Bridget pushed through the crowd, rushing home so she won't be late. They scheduled it for 6 o'clock and it was already ten minutes to the hour. She apologized profusely to the shouts of irritation she left behind her, but focused on getting home as rapidly as she could.

000

Bridget ran down her street, panting heavily as she pulled out her keys. One of the other tenants, and old woman, held the door long enough for Bridget to get through. After giving a shaky thank you and a smile, Bridget jogged up to her door and found it unlocked. She froze. Did Matt find out? Did he realize she holds all the evidence that could bring not only him, but Stark Industries itself, down if she went public with it? Did he send out some sort of assassin to kill her? Bridget's heart thumped madly in her chest. Did he have someone plant a bomb in her apartment? Bridget slapped her temple to try to rid herself of the ridiculous thoughts. Surely, he didn't find out—she erased all evidence of her activity there! Besides, if he did find out and he did send out an assassination for her head, it would be subtle as to not attract suspicious attention.

Bridget held in her breath, turned the knob—so far, so good— and pushed the door open. She saw a small, dark figure dart from the living room to her kitchen. Bridget drew in a much needed breath and shut the door behind her after taking a few annoyed steps into the apartment.

"Robbie!" she yelled. "How did you get in here?" Her eyes roamed around the kitchen. Her old pizza boxes stuffed the trash bin, while more edible food occupied the cramped kitchen island.

"My mom let me in," Robbie said nonchalantly from behind the island. "Geez, Bridget, you need to head to the grocery store before you die of food poisoning." He held up a Tupperware filled halfway through with a green liquidy substance. Upon further inspection, Robbie announced it was actually Ramen noodle soup gone rancid.

Bridget grabbed the Tupperware, turned on the sink grinder, and dumped the contents inside. "Okay," she was going to have to speak to Dolly, "then what are you doing here?" Bridget checked her watch. Fifteen past six. Shit.

Bridget washed her hands as Robbie answered. "Ma had to go to work and thought you wouldn't mind me hanging out here 'til you get home." Bridget suppressed a sigh. She owed Dolly a lot, so she wasn't going to complain about this. But a heads- up would've been appreciated!

"Alright, well, you hungry?" Bridget asked as she sat down next to him on the couch and took out her laptop.

"Nope, I'm good." Robbie replied. He took out one of his comic books from behind him and started to read quietly as Bridget worked her way through the security on her laptop.

After a few minutes and almost a half hour late, Bridget reached her desktop and opened a chat window. Bridget groaned and cursed when she saw no one was online.

"What's up?" Robbie asked. He poked Bridget's shoulder to get her attention.

"You know Nessa, right?"

"Yep!"

"We were supposed to vid-chat like half an hour ago, but I got here late," Bridget sighed and opened up her email to send another apology letter. How many of these was she going to send?

"Well, that sucks," Robbie gave his two-cents. "So can I use your laptop?"

"Robbie!"

"What?! At least I asked!" he argued.

"Yeah, whatever, fine," Bridget said waving off her outburst. She exited her email and handed her laptop to Robbie who was happily waiting and making grabby-hands at her. Bridget rolled her eyes and said, "I'm going to take a nap for a while, okay? Wake me up, if you need anything." She got up from the couch, stretched her back, and yawned. "Actually, don't wake me up unless it's an emergency—got it?"

"Mmm, yeah, okay," Robbie murmured, waving her away.

000

"—Yeah! She bites her lips a lot when she's nervous."

Bridget yawned and blinked her eyes open.

"So she's crushing on one of those Avengers, huh?" A familiar voice came from the living room.

"Vanessa!" Bridget jumped out of bed, stumbled out of her bedroom, and tackled Robbie out of the way. She fought back the urge to squeal as her best friend came into view. "Your hair! You cut it short!" Bridget acknowledged, grinning like a fool. Vanessa smiled as she ran her hand through her brilliant red hair. Then she leaned in closer and squinted, her eyes showing an obvious lack of sleep.

"You might want to brush your hair and wash up your face, love," she countered frowning down at Bridget.

Bridget looked over at her feed and groaned. She looked like a troll. She headed back to her bedroom for a quick trip to the bathroom and quickly splashed water on her face. The sound of Robbie's giggle found its way to her room as she combed her tangled hair. Oh no, he's probably annoying her to death. Bridget rushed over to see both of them laughing their heads off. She put her hands on her hips and waited for them to calm down.

Vanessa noticed her behind Robbie and asked, "Where'd you get this kid, Bridge? He's cooler than any of those rats we had to babysit."

"We? What do you mean 'we'?" Bridget asked, glaring at Vanessa while she remembered those afternoons they, or rather Bridget, spent babysitting. "I took care of them while you carried out your pranks!"

Vanessa sighed and questioned, "I thought we were going to catch up and be all happy- dandy?"

"Well, it seems like you two are having enough fun already," Bridget replied, nudging Robbie to give her some space.

"Awww," Vanessa cooed. "Is Baby Bridge jealous?"

Bridget crossed my arms. "No," she said firmly, glaring at Robbie who slowly inched away.

"So, how's working at Stark Tower going?" Vanessa quizzed.

"It's alright I suppose. I got a sort of internship as an assistant to a biomedical scientist there. I'm still worlds away from working alongside Stark though."

"And by tjat, you mean like being Tony Stark's new girl toy?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows.

Bridget rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not going to be Stark's new 'girl toy'!" Robbie gagged behind his comic book. "Hopefully I'll land a job as his assistant at least!"

"That's exactly what I meant."

"No. Stop it."

She raised her hands up in defense, "I'm just sayin' Bridge." Her eyes suddenly brightened with excitement. "Guess what?" she quizzed all upbeat.

"What?" Bridget asked, confusion etched upon her face. "Are you coming back to the states?" Some hope was left inside her that I'll see her best friend again. Not just on a computer screen, but physically right there in front of her.

Vanessa's excitement died down a degree. "Well, no." She smiled again as a picture popped up on their chat log. A man with curly, ginger hair and a charming smile stood next to Vanessa, hugging her waist. She never let anyone get close to her like that, except when she really liked them. It dawned on Bridget that this tall and skinny man, this very attractive tall and skinny man, was her boyfriend.

"You have a boyfriend?!" Bridget screamed at the top of her lungs. "You little shit!" Her hands flew over to cover her mouth as Robbie's comic flew across the room. Bridget apologized and leaned her face closer to the screen to get a better look at the picture. "Why didn't you didn't tell me?"

Bridget waited impatiently for Vanessa to calm down from her fit of laughter. She wiped the tears from her eyes and shrugged. "It just sort of happened… I guess."

"Am I already sensing some tension, here?"

She quickly shook her head. "No!" Vanessa sighed. "I've known him for a while. He's the first person I met here that actually accepted me," the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile.

Bridget beamed at her best friend. They've been through practically everything together. She was there when Bridget was relentlessly bullied throughout their time in school. Bridget was there to bail her out of the principal's office. They're complete opposites, but they love each other like the closest of sisters. They are sisters. Vanessa was there in the audience at the spelling bee that Bridget lost. She clapped endlessly on the way out of the gym. Bridget, surprisingly, volunteered to help her with the first of many pranks she committed in high school. Bridget giggled at the memory of them replacing all the perfume in the girl's locker room with skunk spray.

"What?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm just remembering something."

Her smile grew wider and then she quickly became serious. "Are you mad?"

"That you didn't tell me about him?" Bridget asked, nodding at the picture. She dipped her head to confirm. "No, of course not. I'd actually like to meet the lucky guy, though—I don't even know his name!"

She quickly smiled again, "Next week, same time? Tom's coming over then."

"Oh Tom! I remember you mentioning him a few times. Really? Him?" Bridget asked quirking her eyebrows.

"Yeah him! Don't look at me like that!" she complained. "He's the exact opposite of, you know, Angel." She licked her lips and settled back in her chair.

At the sound of his name Bridget flinched. Angel Rivera is nothing like an angel. He's more like a demon, at least. Vanessa had decided to agree on a date with him—actually she was playing hard to get— and dragged Bridget along. All three of them had gone out for pizza, nothing bad. They ate outside in the moonlight and their little "date" was going fine. That is until Vanessa excused herself to go to the bathroom. Angel and Bridget sat there quietly in the crisp, night air for about a minute. What happened next was all a blinding rush. He grabbed Bridget by the shoulders with his strong hands and pushed her towards a dark corner. She was horrified, but still did her best to fight back. He had his arms wrapped around her waist as she kicked at his legs and clawed at his arms. Bridget screamed and screamed for help, for Vanessa's help, but it felt like none would come. He threw her on the ground and punched the side of her head. Bridget's left temple felt warm and she felt something gushing down her cheek as she dizzily looked up at him. Things got blurry then; Bridget remembered she tried to kick the dick's dick as his dark figure loomed over her. There was something about him that gave off an aura of helplessness though. For some reason, she didn't think he did what he did for "fun". It was as if he felt he needed to do it. Bridget knows that sounds sick, but it felt like he was fighting her. Like she was the monster and he was the victim. There was barely any confidence within him. The only trace of that was in his strength. The last thing she saw were his bright misty green eyes as she slowly slipped away from reality.

"Bridge, calm down! It's not real. Come on, girl!" She could hear her best friend's voice drift over to her ears.

"Bridget!" Robbie yelled, shaking her shoulders.

Bridget snapped back to reality, but the feeling of hands gripping her shoulders always made her uncomfortable. She smacked his hands away and realized that she was shaking. Not because of Robbie, but from that memory, that nightmare that never left her. She could feel the sweat trickle down her neck as she momentarily hugged Robbie, apologizing for having to push him away.

"Bridge," he whimpered. "You're scaring me."

"I'm sorry," Bridget whispered, trying to hold back her tears. "Go over to my room and watch some TV for a while, okay?" she asked, fixing his ruffled hair.

He tried to protest, but Vanessa stopped him. "Go on kid. Give me and Bridge some time alone." He nodded and headed back to her room, grabbing his comic book on the way. Bridget waited for the sound of the TV before turning her attention back to Vanessa. "I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine," Bridget said waving off her apology. She wiped at her tears. "You saved me that night. You never wanted to tell me how, but I know you did. There's no need for any apology."

"Bridget. If I hadn't dragged you along, all of that would've never happened."

"Yeah, it would've never happened to me. He would've done all of those things to you if you went alone." She sighed with clear sorrow in her eyes. Vanessa didn't feel guilty about a whole lot of things, maybe only a handful. That night is one of them. She shouldn't though. She saved Bridget from that monster doing God knows what to her. If you think Thor is Bridget's number one savior, then you're wrong. It's her sister and best friend, Vanessa.

"Hey, look at me," Bridget said firmly.

She did, but with those same sad eyes.

"You saved my life. That's the only thing that matters, alright?"

She nodded, but Bridget knew she still thought it was her fault. They always had to have this conversation when she flashed back to that night. They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes until they both relaxed. She was the first to speak.

"So how are things back there?" she asked calmly. "And how come I'm not hearing about some sexy New Yorker going after my Bridge?"

"Gross! I told you everything's going just fine." Actually, not really, but Bridget has only been here for a couple of weeks. Hopefully not every day of her life will be spent running around doing errands and what not for a lazy boss. Matt was funny and clever, yes, and Bridget was his assistant, but the workload! No thank you!

"So, how about Thor?"

"Did Robbie tell you?!" Bridget questioned, glancing back at her room.

She laughed lightly and said, "Duh! Tell me, did you do the whole 'damsel in distress' thing so he could save your fine ass?"

Bridget blushed and told her, "No! I was about to get rid of that alien thing before he showed up!"

"Sure, sure," she said grinning. "You better not tell Tony Stark about any of that!"

"Oh, shut up."

She chuckled and said, "It seems as if your life is starting to revolve around the Avengers now."

"No it doesn't! It's currently revolving around babysitting, pizza, and an internship."

"Whatever makes you feel better, Bridge."

They talked and talked for hours until Vanessa had to leave for work. She waved goodbye hurriedly, claiming she was running late. Bridget smiled at her as she ran about her room getting ready. She yelled after her that she forgot to turn off her computer, but she was gone.

Bridget stretched out her stiff back and legs, shut her laptop, and glanced over at Robbie who fell asleep on the couch. She sighed and walked over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of cool water and sat down on the floor again, downing the whole thing at once.

That night, she fell asleep thinking about those piercing green eyes that haunted her dreams.

* * *

Alrighty then, this time I'll tell you the truth and say I've been a busy bee the past few weeks and will continue to be for another month. School eats up so much time! I'll try to update at least once in the next month, but I honestly can't promise anything. Until then, DFTBA my lovelies!


	8. Chapter 6-1

*internally screaming*... hey... so I said I was going to be able to update twice, once in late May and once in the beginning of June. Whoopsie? I wasn't anticipating to be bombarded with so many final projects, so I didn't have much time to write for this story. Meep, I'll just shut up now.

* * *

It was lunchtime. Bridget sat in her cubicle, closed off from the world. Earphones covered her ears as she listened to her music from her MP3. Bridget would sing along and actually listen if it weren't for the tight knots and fluttering butterflies in her stomach.

Bridget closed her eyes and ran through the scene again in her mind.

In the early morning, Bridget came into Matt's office to give him her quick, formal hello. But before she could escape to her cubicle, Matt called her in. Bridget stood before her potentially insane boss, who leaned against his desk, facing her. Bridget wrung her hands behind her back as she waited for Matt to speak. "I'll just get straight to the point here—have I done something to upset you?" he asked, trying to hold Bridget's gaze.

Bridget, on the other hand, tried to look anywhere but his eyes. "What? No, of course not, sir!" she lied, shaking her head.

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Sir—"

"Matt," he corrected.

"Matt," Bridget continued, "I'm sorry if I came off that way." Bridget racked her brain to think up an excuse. "It's just I've had a lot of work to do these past few weeks, I don't really have much time to get out of that damn cubicle anymore." Bridget tried to come off as casual, as opposed to the panicked feeling she actually felt.

Matt pursed his lips and nodded. "Oh crap, yeah I truly am sorry about that. I've been pretty busy too, you know," he scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, "the project I'm working on for Stark."

Bridget forced a laugh. "Yeah I totally understand. It's no problem at all, I can handle it."Bridget tried to calm her breaths: in, out, in, out...

"Thank you; love," he said with a smile, "one of the many reasons why I chose you."

Bridget blushed, not necessarily from the compliment, but from the new wave of anxiety that hit her. Thank God it came after Matt's comment. Bridget nodded, with what she hoped came off as a sheepish smile, and was just about to go when Matt spoke again.

"Hey, considering you've only been here a few weeks and been working most of them, I assume u haven't seen much of the city yet, am I right?"

Bridget told the truth. "Well I've been to the park and did some walking around the neighborhood here, but not much else. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was thinking," he started to say carefully, "I wanted to make things up to you, so how about I show you Time Square Saturday night? Are you free?" Oh God, here we go. The blush on Bridget's cheeks darkened to the shade of a ripe tomato. She nearly dropped her belongings on the spot. Thankfully, she had to clutch at her suddenly uneasy stomach, preventing her bag and files from flying to the floor.

After some stammering, Bridget answered. "...sure."

"Great!" Matt's face lightened up. "After work then?"

"Uhh, yup."

Matt let out a relaxed chuckle, "Awesome, I'm looking forward to it."

"Same," was all Bridget could say before she gathered herself, and with a shaky wave, walked out of Matt's office and to her somewhat safe haven.

And that is how Bridget ended up in her cubicle, dreading Saturday night. Why did she even agree? Well she was under pressure, yes, but that guy could be one of those psycho dates in almost every generic and crappy horror movie! She could end up dead before sunrise! And her body, her corpse, could be found rotting in an alley days afterwards!

Okay, she needed to calm down and think rationally.

It's not like it's a date. Matt didn't show signs of suspicion that she knew what he and stark are up to, anyways. Besides, a quiet, unsuspecting assassination would most likely come later.

Breathe: in, out, in, out...

All he wants is to apologize for the workload he has given her, that's all. He's probably like those psychos who try to keep up a kind and gentle image towards people he knows, but in reality is in fact a sadistic killer—like the new version of Lector on Hannibal. What was she thinking? No good would come out of this! Unless, unless Bridget can earn Matt's full trust this way and coax information about Operation Perisoreus out of him. It's perfect isn't it? Dangerous, yes, but hell, this could possibly provide Bridget with more than enough evidence to show the police. It can bring down Stark Industries, but Bridget decided this must end when she finally saw the pictures of the dead subjects. It must end now.

000

Bridget stood in front of the ladies' room mirror, the contents of a make-up set strewn across a shelf. She applied a fresh layer of lipstick and softly rubbed her lips together before applying a layer of gloss. She paused, her hand still hovering near her now red lips, and frowned. This was definitely not Bridget-style. Sure, she liked to dress up time to time, if the situation calls for it. She was getting ready to go on a date with her potentially mental boss, so obviously this situation called for painting on "radiant red" lipstick. Oh, screw it. She capped the stick and shoved it back into the bag along with a couple of items she felt she didn't need. The last item on her mental "to put on" list was mascara. 'Oh crap,' Bridget thought, 'this shit's sticky.' She leaned into the mirror, fingers ready to apply the black goop when the door burst open.

"Dr. Steinbeck!" Bridget cried, dropping the lash curler. "You startled me!" After flashing her a nervous smile, she bent to pick up the curler and moved to the sink to wash her goop covered hands.

"Use a bit of baby oil," Dr. Steinbeck suggested. "Makes it come right off." the scientist walked up to the sink next to Bridget's and began to fix her slightly tousled hair. "I see Matt's finally broke."

Bridget looked up from her sink and met the scientist's gaze in the mirror. "I'm sorry?"

"Matt has finally asked you to go on a date with him, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Dr. Steinbeck huffed before saying, "I'm not surprised. Just promise me one thing, Bridget, before you go anywhere. Be careful around him."

Bridget nearly dropped her mascara bottle again. She gave a shaky laugh."Ummm... careful?"

"Yes, careful," the scientist said as she untangled a couple of strands of her hair. "His relationships never last."

Now Bridget's laugh grew hysterical. "Never last, huh?" She could throw out a guess why.

Dr. Steinbeck nodded as she gave her hair one last pat and she turned to Bridget. "But have fun, my dear, you deserve it." With a wave of her hand, Dr. Steinbeck exited the bathroom, leaving Bridget much more anxious than before.

Bridget sighed and turned to see her reflection in the mirror. There she stood with her scarlet lips, straightened hair, and piercing eyes. Then she cursed under her breath. What the hell was she getting herself into? She agreed to go out on a date with her boss, which goes without saying is totally unprofessional. Not only that, but Matt could potentially be a mad scientist. Great. Bridget prayed all the risks and stress weighing her down just from going on this one date generates useful results. Bridget shook her head to snap herself out of her worried thoughts and put away her make-up. She looked at her reflection one last time before heading out to meet Matt outside.

Bridget tugged her coat tighter around her body, walking briskly to the elevator. She stepped inside, rolling her eyes at the crappy music, and pushed the button that took her down to the first floor. At the ding, the doors pushed open and Bridget stepped into Stark Tower's lobby. She made her way through the mostly empty foyer. Bridget braced herself for another snarky comment from Lucia as she neared the receptionist's desk. Her eyebrow quirked up when she passed by Lucia's desk without even hearing a gag. Bridget was just about to mutter a thank you when she heard a taunt from behind her.

"Nice coat, did you get that from a thrift shop?"

'Ahh, there it is,' Bridget thought. She stopped walking and turned to face the clerk. "Actually, no, it's my mother's," Bridget stated. Then, she realized what this might release from Lucia's lips. Before Lucia could say another word, Bridget held up a finger and blurted out, "Go ahead and insult me, but don't you dare say a single word about my mother."

Lucia raised her hands defensively over chest. "But how could I even do such a thing?" she retorted overdramatically. "I don't even know the poor woman who unfortunately gave birth to you!"

Bridget's cheeks reddened, not from nervousness, but from anger. Trying to keep her composure, she tightened her fists and replied through gritted teeth. "Yeah, well I never even knew her, anyways."

With that, Bridget turned on her heels and stalked out of the building. She breathed in the cool night air and breathed out, trying to let go of the anger in her system at the moment. Now she had to deal with the date that has been slowly biting away at her for the past week. A couple of feet away, she spotted Matt leaning against his white Prius.

"Well, hello there!" Matt greeted Bridget as she walked up to him. He opened the door for her and motioned for her to slide inside. Instead of smoothly sliding, Bridget's agitation caused her to stumble in and sit down with a soft grunt. Matt closed the door and jogged to the driver's side of the car, sliding in gracefully before closing his door and locking the car. Bridget jumped at the sound of the locks going down and let out a shaky laugh. "You alright?" he asked as he buckled his belt in.

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry," she apologized as Matt started the engine. Since the street was quite congested, it took a while for the car to actually get on the road.

Matt sighed and turned on the radio. "Sorry, Bridget, but I think this might take a while."

"No problem," she replied, giving him a small smile. Trying to avoid a seemingly impending awkward silence, Bridget tried to make small talk. "So how's that project with Stark going?" she instead blurted out. She pursed her lips as she mentally slapped herself.

"Oh it's going great thanks," Matt replied, not bothering to keep his eyes on the traffic. "That reminds me though, Ms. Potts is holding a gala two weeks from tonight," he tried to meet eyes with Bridget, but she kept looking away, "and I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me, maybe?" Bridget couldn't help but finally look him in the eyes. After much stuttering from Bridget, Matt added, "you don't have to see it as a date—I mean it'll be a great way to finally introduce you to Stark."

"It's really rude to just corner me and put me on the spot like this, you know," was all Bridget could say. Inside, her mind was at work. Obviously, going out with Matt again could be dangerous, but this time he's offering to go to a gala. A gala hosted neither by him nor by Tony Stark, but rather the professional and less-likely-to-be-a-lunatic CEO of Stark Industries. A gala with tons of possible witnesses, lowering the chances this could be the place of her possible assassination. She could possibly gain insight into Operation Perisoreus if she really got the chance to meet Stark. Maybe then she could gather the evidence she needs to bring down this sick experiment. The more Bridget thought about the matter, the more it seemed like it's not a really bad idea after all.

"Could that possibly be a yes?"

With her mind made up, Bridget decided to toy with him. They did have plenty of time to spare anyways and—clearly—Matt had no intention of ending her existence tonight. "That was a 'I'd love to but it's a freaking gala filled with rich, posh people and I don't even have a good pair of high heels to wear.'"

"Oh, don't worry about that Carol said she'd be happy to take you shopping."

"Carol?"

"Dr. Steinbeck."

"Oh, right." Then, Bridget realized something. "Wait, you already asked her?"

Matt grinned and the Prius lurched forward a couple of feet. "Yep, I figured you'd say yes because you just can't resist my charm."

Bridget rolled her eyes, even though she suddenly felt like puking. Was Dr. Steinbeck—Carol—a part of Operation Perisoreus, too? "Oh please," Bridget crossed her arms and managed to bring back her smirk, "you're the one who just keeps coming back." With that, Matt chuckled and winked at Bridget, causing the young woman to blush furiously.

* * *

Okay, this time THIS TIME I'll be truthful and say I'm not entirely sure how much I'll be able to update over summer break since I have to take a class and volunteer during almost all of it. But I am hoping to update in a week or two! *crosses fingers and cries a bit because she has no idea what happens during dates*


	9. Chapter 6-2

"Oh Christ, we should've just taken a taxi," muttered Matt under his breath. He ran his hands over his curly hair with a sigh.

Bridget shook her head, nibbling on her lip. "Nah, it would've been just as bad." When she felt a yawn coming on, she bit harder on her lip to prevent it from appearing. They've spent almost an hour already in traffic, just for the sake of Matt making things up to Bridget. Bridget had only agreed to go out with him for investigative purposes. She felt she had a duty to bring down Operation Perisoreus, to honor the victims of the experiment, to prevent any more innocent lives from being taken. Now that she sat in Matt's cool Prius, chatting with him about their favourite movies, she realized she didn't mind his company. She began to doubt that Matt could be involved in such a disgusting operation. In fact, the more she thought about it now, the more she just couldn't believe this man could be participating in human experimentation.

"Well I wouldn't call this 'bad'," Matt confessed. "I mean, yes, the sitting in traffic is shit, but the company's not so bad." Matt glanced at Bridget and noticed her furrowed brow. "Hey, something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh no, sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Bridget couldn't help but chuckle. "People still say that?" Instead of responding, Matt took his hand off the wheel and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a shiny, new penny and held it up to Bridget, refusing to put it away until she accepted it. "Okay," Bridget agreed, grabbing the coin and rolling it around in her hands. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, debating whether or not to confront him. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Trying to make things up to me, I'm your assistant, it's my job to help you out," Bridget just couldn't confront him. Not here and—she decided—not anytime soon, unless she got the guts to go public. Still, that question lingered on Bridget's mind ever since Matt offered to take her to Times Square.

Matt sighed, obviously disappointed the conversation had taken on a more serious turn. "Because you deserve it, you work your ass off every day; you need some time to cool off," Matt affirmed. "And the best way to make sure you wouldn't just take a night off to get ahead of things was to take you out myself."

"Oh, thanks," Bridget squeaked.

"Speaking of cooling off, I did not just clean myself up to have you sit here in a car and bore you to death with movie trivia," Matt declared. "There's a really great restaurant down this street, would you rather you and I wither away in my Prius or have the best Italian meal you'll ever have in your life?"

"Well I could use some spaghetti, right now," Bridget admitted. "I guess Times Square can wait."

"Great," Matt grinned, "you'll love it there!"

000

Another half hour passed by—the pair chatting about their favorite movies— before Matt parked a block away from the restaurant and the pair stepped out of the car. Bridget instinctively placed her hand inside her bag, feeling for the pepper spray her father had given her months before. If she were to be honest, she didn't feel any direct danger from Matt. She didn't feel as if he would hurt her—not directly, anyways. Even to this day, he came off as a sweet, generous guy. That being said, Bridget wasn't going to totally let her guard down. She just couldn't shake away that odd feeling every time she tried to figure him out.

As they briskly walked down the dimly lit street, Bridget and Matt continued their conversation about their favorite movies.

"Alright then," Matt started, "favorite horror movie?"

"Ew, no don't go there," Bridget replied, rolling her eyes.

"What? Easily scared of a good ghost story, are you?"

"No, it's not that," Bridget nudged his side when he mimicked a shudder, "I just haven't ever heard of a horror film that isn't some crappy, generic Hollywood story that's just made to make some quick money, you know?"

Matt raised his eyebrows and nodded his head in approval. "Fair point. I guess I'll just have to show you some of my favorites then."

"Well, what are your favorites?" Bridget asked, prolonging the conversation. They crossed the street, cautious of the cars threatening to go past the stop light.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Matt answered, jogging ahead with a grin to open the door for Bridget. She slipped inside the restaurant, instantly recognizing the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread and a surprisingly subtle smell of garlic and other herby scents. Her mouth started to water at the sight a waiter hauling around a plate filled with several smaller plates of different kinds of pasta.

Once they were seated down, Bridget couldn't resist appreciating how much she felt at home. White linen cloths neatly covered the tables, while paintings of Verona hung on the walls. Almost everything was made out of wood, save for the silverware and the glass plates. In the background, a deep-voiced man serenaded the patrons in a thick Italian accent. A genuine smile lightened up her face as the restaurant reminded her of her father's own—but less classy— eatery back in California.

She snapped back to her senses when she noticed Matt staring at her above his menu. She blushed and mumbled, "Sorry."

"For what?" Matt chuckled. "Technically I should be saying sorry—staring is rude—but I just couldn't help but enjoy the view." Bridget blushed a deeper red, almost reflecting the color of her lipstick. When she stuttered and mumbled another apology, she nonchalantly grabbed her menu and hid behind it until the waiter came back to take their orders.

"Good evening," the waiter greeted as he pulled out his pen, "my name is Camillo and I'm your waiter for tonight." The pair greeted him back, both smiling appreciatively they received a friendly server for the night. "Ladies first?"

"Mmm," Bridget wrinkled her nose in thought, "Chicken parm, please."

"Wonderful choice— and for you my good sir?"

"The beef carbonara, thanks."

After scratching the orders onto his notepad and giving the pair a quick smile, Camillo bounced away, leaving the two to themselves. Bridget took a sip of her water and decided to start a new topic of conversation. "So—if you don't mind me asking— when did you move to New York?" asked with a cross of her arms.

Matt licked his lips and answered. "Well, believe it or not, I was born here. My mother moved here a couple of years before I was born. Met me dad—Irish American—then had me." He took a sip of his water before settling back into his seat. "How about you by the way? Why the big move here?"

"Well to be on my own," Bridget began. She uncrossed her arms and shrugged. "I mean I love home and all—I do miss it—but I just want to get some space for a while, you know?"

"Yes, but why'd you need space?"

Bridget arched her brow and leaned forward. "Why all the questions?"

"… Curiosity?"

Bridget pursed her lips and gave a nod. "Fair enough." But inside, she knew she should be careful discussing her life back home. While she did feel more comfortable around him now, the suspicious feeling behind Matt and his mysterious life still tugged at the back of Bridget's mind. "I just still need time to figure things out. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going to go from here."

"As in you're not sure what you want to do with your life?" When Bridget pursed her lips and nodded, he continued. "Then, I'm sure you'll figure things out. You've got a knack for that," he chuckled.

Bridget smiled warmly; glad he'd accepted the answer. "No problem for you though, right? You've got a great, stable job in the leading and probably the best science-based corporation on Earth, living well in one of the biggest cities in the world, and BFF's with one of the most influential and powerful men on the planet. Not bad for a guy your age." She knew she veered the conversation in the direction she was cautious about taking. Still, she tried to appear to remain casually curious about Matt's personal life to gain some more useful knowledge. As anxious as she was to take this route, she needed to know as much about him as she could. She needed to know if she should trust him.

"Oh, we're going there?" Matt inquired, leaning closer to Bridget. "You won't like me when I'm cocky."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Please, I deal with that five days a week—sometimes six if I'm lucky." Her voice faltered towards the end, her nerve cracking as she took a jab at bantering with him. Her cheeks flushed a light pink and her breath hitched when Matt lowered his head to level with hers.

"Are you flirting with me, Miss Heiler?"

"That's all depends on you, sir." Bridget tried to remain as cool and collected as possible, but a squeal of anxiety threatened to pass through her lips. Bridget's eyes flicked down to Matt's own lips and saw them twitching into a smirk.

"Well I don't want to scare you away," he replied. "I'm rather enjoying your very presence." He tantalizingly leaned further towards Bridget—their noses mere centimeters apart—and remained there for a moment, his eyes locking with hers.

Bridget froze. She nearly forgot how to breathe during the few seconds she thought Matt's lips would meet hers. In the corner of her eye, she saw his hand make its way upwards. She tried to relax her shoulders, her face, her lips and just let it happen. She watched as Matt's eyes half closed and sighed when she felt his hand brush against her arm. His fingertips tickled her skin.

Then, Matt tilted his head and leaned forward—but not towards Bridget's lips—towards the bread basket right beside her arm. He grabbed a breadstick before plopping back down on his seat, grinning down at Bridget.

"Wow," Bridget clucked. "That was rude." She raised her eyebrow and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Ahhh, so you did want it to happen?" Matt chuckled after he swallowed a mouthful of bread.

Bridget tilted her head in thought. "Well, I did set myself up for that one didn't I?" Matt winked at her again and took the last bite of his breadstick before taking a sip of his water. His eyes flicked to a sight behind Bridget, so she turned to look.

"Your dinner is ready, my friends!" Camillo exclaimed as he hoisted a large tray on his shoulder. Bridget smelled the pungent aroma of spices and herbs she had grown to love and cherish. A bright smile encompassed Bridget's face as Camillo set her plate of chicken parmesan down in front of her. She thanked the kind waiter as he placed Matt's plate in front of him. "Enjoy!" Camillo added before leaving their table with a grin.

Bridget dug into her food. She sliced into the chicken and twirled some pasta around her fork before taking a bite.

"Now that I think about it," Matt began after swallowing his first chew. "That chicken parm does look pretty appetizing."

Bridget gave Matt a hard look and made an X with her knife and fork. "If you're thinking about getting a bite of my food, then you're thinking wrong."

"Not even a strand of pasta?"

"I wouldn't bet on it."

"Well it was worth a shot."

Bridget shook her head as she took a sip of water. She set the cool glass down and asked, "So if you were born here, why the slight accent?"

"Well, for starters, my dad left my mum and me when I was four… or was I three? I don't remember. Anyways, it was always my mum and I so I picked it up from her—didn't have much contact with the outside world."

Bridget tilted her head to the side in question. "How about school?"

"I was homeschooled," Matt answered with a shrug.

"Friends?" Bridget offered.

"I had a few, but didn't really hang out with them for the most part."

"Oh," Bridget gulped. She didn't know a single thing about his childhood until now. "I'm sorry."

Matt shook his head. "Nah, it was alright. My mum was great—still is! Besides, now I've got everything I have ever wanted! That's all that matters." Bridget smiled at the man's optimism and view on his life. For a moment, she could see her cheeky, jocund boss break down to a small, quiet little boy, nearly completely cut off from the company of friends. "So how about you then, Bridget? How was your childhood?"

Bridget swallowed down some pasta and took a sip of her water as she thought about her answer. "Well," she began, twirling a noodle around her fork. "As normal as it could've gone really." Matt tilted his head to the side in question, silently urging her to elaborate. "I mean my parents were pretty great, friends were and still are amazing, and I did okay in school. It wasn't perfect, but since when is anything perfect, right?" Bridget crossed her legs beneath the table and returned to her food, not comfortable to disclose any more details.

Matt nodded, a small smile on his lips, as he raised his glass of water. Bridget dropped her fork and raised her glass as well to meet his with a clink. "Then here's to us, for a better, brighter future."

* * *

Meep. Okay so yeah this is really late, like two weeks late. Sorry to anyone who's following this story, but I was really busy and preoccupied with other things during the past three or so weeks. So, I didn't have much time to write for this story, but hopefully things will start to pick up now that I've sorted some personal things out. Anyways, I'm not sure when I can publish the next chapter, but check back in the beginning of August!


End file.
